Where does “pentatonic” come from?
Pentatonic comes from English penta- combined with tonic, which derives from Ancient Greek τόνος meaning tension or pitch, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten- meaning to stretch.
pentatonic (English): Based on five tones; The pentatonic scale
Definitions
- Based on five tones; The pentatonic scale
Ancestry of “pentatonic”, step by step
pentatonic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tonic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tonic | Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles;... |
| 2 | English | tone | A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;... |
| 3 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
via German pentatonisch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | pentatonisch | — |