English
euphonium
Euphonium comes from Ancient Greek εὔφωνος ‘sweet-voiced’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰoh₂-néh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνή‘sound, voice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεὔφωνοςeúphōnos‘sweet-voiced’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982euphonium
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰoh₂-néh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνή‘sound, voice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεὔφωνοςeúphōnos‘sweet-voiced’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982euphonium
Earliest quotation: 1982, Douglas Adams, Life: “[T]hey could easily have been wearing euphoniums and woad…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, phase, fate, fancy, fame, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, emphasis, photographer, infant, profession, abandon, phenomenon, confession, beck, confess, phantom, beacon, eff, fab, fay, bane, boon, fable, foyer, prophetic, buoy, epiphany, nefarious, profess, 121 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
saxophone, gramophone, phoneme, 14 more
through Ancient Greek φωνή ‘sound, voice’
Today it means
noun A valved brass instrument with conical tubing similar in appearance to a tuba but of higher pitch.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / euphonium