Etymologically
Log in

counterpoint

Etymology and origin of the English word counterpoint

History Permalink

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkaʊntə(ɹ)ˌpɔɪnt/[1]

Etymology

The musical word is inherited from Middle English counterpoint, borrowed from Middle French contrepoint,[2][3][4][5] from Medieval Latin cantus contrapunctus (“song pricked against”),[2][3][4][5] from Latin contrā (“against”) and punctus “point, note”,[2][3][4] referring to notes of an accompaniment written over or under the notes of the melody.[2][3][5] A separate word counterpoint “quilted coverlet” comes from Old French contrepointe, an alteration of coute pointe “stitched quilt”.[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The art of singing an accompaniment to plainsong (before 1450 in Barnhart; mid-15th century in Etymonline).[2][3]

Semantic evolution

By 1530 the word named a melody added as an accompaniment to a given melody,[6][3] and by 1597 the art of combining melodies according to fixed rules.[6] From the 1590s it also meant the opposite point in an argument, or an antithesis.[6][3] The verb, “to compose in counterpoint”, dates from 1875,[6][4] and the figurative sense “to set in contrast” from 1940.[6][3] The quilt word, a doublet of counterpane, dates from 1423.[6]

Timeline

  • 1423 – a quilted bedcover (separate word).[6]
  • before 1450 – singing an accompaniment.[2][3]
  • 1530 – a melody added to another.[6][3]
  • 1597 – the art of combining melodies.[6]
  • 1599 – the opposite point, an antithesis.[6]
  • 1940 – verb, to set in contrast.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (music) The technique of combining two or more independent melodic lines into a single harmonic texture; polyphony.
  2. (music) A melody added above or below an existing melody; also, a composition using this technique.
  3. A contrasting or complementary element, or the use of such contrast in a work of art.

Verb

  1. To compose or arrange in counterpoint.
  2. To set in contrast; to emphasize by juxtaposition.
  • contrapuntal
  • counterpane
  • point
  • polyphony
  • harmony

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Counterpoint.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/counterpoint. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·