Where does “semitonal” come from?
semitonal (English) comes from English tonal, from English tone, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.
semitonal (English): Relating to semitones
Definitions
- Relating to semitones
Ancestry of “semitonal”, step by step
semitonal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tonal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tonal | Of or relating to tones or tonality; Of or... |
| 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 |