anthem

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈæn.θəm/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English antem, inherited from Old English antefn, also ontemn,^[2][3][4][5] borrowed from Late Latin antefana, an alteration, influenced by ante (“before”), of antiphōna (“antiphon”) (see antiphon, a doublet),^[2][3][4][5] itself from Greek.^[5][3] The spelling with th began in the 16th century, perhaps as a mistaken attempt to restore a Greek original;^[3][6] the th is unetymological and later changed the pronunciation, as in author.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Verses sung antiphonally, in alternate parts: before 899, in Alfred's translation of Bede.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

A sacred composition, usually from the Bible, set to music is from about 1386,^[7] or the late 14th century in Etymonline.^[3] A song of praise or gladness is from 1591,^[7][3] and the word came to be used of the English national song, technically a hymn, and of those of other nations.^[3] The verb, to celebrate in an anthem, is from 1628.^[7][5] A rock song that works as a rallying cry is also an anthem.^[8][9]

Timeline

• before 899 – antefn, an antiphon.^[2]
• c. 1386 – a sacred composition.^[7]
• 1591 – a song of praise.^[7]
• 16th century – the spelling anthem.^[3]
• 1628 – to anthem (verb).^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A song of loyalty or praise, as for a nation: a national anthem.
2. A choral composition, usually set to words from the Bible, sung in a church service.
3. A religious chant sung antiphonally.
4. A popular rock or pop song with wide appeal.

Word family

• anthemic

Related words

• antiphon

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
9. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins