Music

Definition of monochord

The term monochord has its etymological origin in the French language. It is an adjective that can be used in different contexts. The first meaning of monochord that the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) mentions in its dictionary refers to a musical instrument that has a single string. In this framework, it can be said that the […]

Definition of microphone

The word microphone has its etymological origin in Greek. And it is the result of the sum of several lexical components of said language: -The word “mikros”, which can be translated as “small”. -The noun “phone”, which is synonymous with “sound”. -The suffix “-o”, which is used to indicate “agent”. A microphone is a […]

Definition of milonga

It is interesting to know first of all the etymological origin of the term milonga that concerns us now. Specifically, we can establish that it is a word that derives from a Bantu language that exists in Angola that responds to the name Kimbundu. It comes directly from “mi-longa”, which can be translated as “saying things” or “talking” and […]

Definition of melody

The Latin word meloidía came into late Latin as melodĭa. That is the immediate etymological antecedent of melody, a term that has several uses in our language. The first meaning mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) in its dictionary refers to the delicacy and sweetness of a sound produced by a musical instrument or […]

Definition of march

The first thing we are going to do in order to know the meaning of the term march is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we have to emphasize that it is a word that derives from French, specifically from the verb “marcher”. The act of marching is called marching: moving, advancing, functioning. The concept has several uses […]

Definition of mambo

Mambo is a genre of music and dance that emerged in Cuban territory. The term has Antillean origins, although its roots must be traced back to African languages. Born from the combination of elements of son and danzón, Antonio Arcaño and Orestes López are considered to be the pioneers of mambo, […]

Definition of mainstream

Mainstream is a term that is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), although it is often used in our language. The word belongs to the English language and can be translated as “mainstream.” Mainstream is mentioned as the predominant or most popular trend in a certain area. Mainstream is also called […]

Definition of lyre

A lyre is a stringed musical instrument that was used in ancient times. The concept comes from the Latin word lyra, in turn from the Greek lýra. The lyre featured between three and eighteen taut strings that fit into a frame. The musicians played them with both hands to generate the sound, […]

Definition of ligature

The first step we are going to take is to discover the etymological origin of the term ligature that concerns us now. In that case, we have to establish that it derives from Latin, exactly from the noun “ligatura”, which can be translated as “tie” or “binding”. This is the name given to the twist that is produced by squeezing something with a rope, a […]

Definition of leitmotif

In German is where we can establish that the etymological origin of the term leitmotif that concerns us now is found. Specifically, it is the result of the union of two lexical components of said language: -The verb “leiten”, which can be translated as “guide”. -The noun “motiv”, which is synonymous with “musical movement”. A term this […]