English
symphony
Symphony comes from Latin symphōnia ‘an agreement of sounds’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμφωνῐ́ᾱsŭmphōnĭ́ā‘agreement in sound, symphony’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymphōnia‘an agreement of sounds’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400simphonie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500symphonye‘a device used to produce music, especially a string instrument’
- Englishtodaysymphony
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμφωνῐ́ᾱsŭmphōnĭ́ā‘agreement in sound, symphony’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymphōnia‘an agreement of sounds’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400simphonie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500symphonye‘a device used to produce music, especially a string instrument’
- Englishtodaysymphony
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, phase, fate, fancy, fame, fantasy, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, photographer, infant, profession, emphasis, abandon, phenomenon, confession, beck, confess, phantom, beacon, eff, fab, fay, bane, boon, fable, foyer, banish, prophetic, buoy, nefarious, profess, 121 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
saxophone, gramophone, phoneme, 14 more
through Ancient Greek φωνή ‘sound’
phone, cacophony, euphonium, phonon, 17 more
through Latin symphōnia ‘an agreement of sounds’
Today it means
noun An extended piece of music of sophisticated structure, usually for orchestra.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / symphony