Where does “Tonleiter” come from?
Tonleiter (German) comes from German Leiter, from German leiten, from Middle High German leiten, from Old High German leiten, from Proto-West Germanic laidijan, from Proto-Germanic laidijaną, from Proto-Germanic līþaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyt- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Tonleiter (German): musical scale (series of notes)
Definitions
- musical scale (series of notes)
Ancestry of “Tonleiter”, step by step
Tonleiter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Leiter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Leiter | ladder; agent noun of leiten |
| 2 | German | leiten | to lead; to manage; to conduct |
| 3 | Middle High German | leiten | — |
| 4 | Old High German | leiten | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | laidijan | to lead |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | laidijaną | to cause to go, to lead |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | līþaną | to go; pass; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leyt- | to scratch; to leave, die; to go, go forth, die |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |
via German tōn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | tōn | clay |
| 2 | Middle High German | tōn | — |
| 3 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |