Where does “pentatonicism” come from?
pentatonicism (English) comes from English pentatonic, from English tonic, from English tone, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos — to stretch, to extend.
pentatonicism (English): The condition of being pentatonic
Definitions
- The condition of being pentatonic
Ancestry of “pentatonicism”, step by step
pentatonicism traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pentatonic
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pentatonic | Based on five tones; The pentatonic scale |
| 2 | English | tonic | Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles;... |
| 3 | English | tone | A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;... |
| 4 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 5 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
via English ism
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ism | An ideology, system of thought, or practice that... |
| 2 | English | -ism | Used to form nouns of action or process or result... |
| 3 | Latin | -ismus | -ism |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ισμός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -μός | Forms abstract nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -mós | Creates action/result nouns from verb stems |