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rhapsody

Etymology and origin of the English word rhapsody

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɹæpsədi/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin rhapsodia,[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, “recitation of epic poetry”),[2][3][4][5] from rhapsōidós “reciter of epic poems”,[3][4][5] from Ancient Greek ῥάπτω (rháptō, “to sew, stitch”) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “song”),[2][3][4][5] so literally “one who stitches songs together”.[4] Etymonline gives French rhapsodie as the immediate source.[4] It is related to ode.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

An epic poem, or a part of one suitable for reciting at one sitting (1542).[3][5][7][4]

Semantic evolution

In the 16th and 17th centuries the word also meant a miscellaneous collection or confused jumble,[7][4][5] and a rambling literary work.[7][4] From 1639 it meant an exalted or excessively enthusiastic outpouring of feeling,[7] and from about 1880 a musical composition of free form and impassioned character.[7][3]

Timeline

  • 1542 – an epic poem or part of one.[3][5][7]
  • 1574 – a medley or confused mass.[7]
  • 1602 – a rambling literary work.[7]
  • 1639 – an enthusiastic outpouring of feeling.[7]
  • 1880 – a free-form musical composition.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An expression of intense, often excessive enthusiasm in speech or writing.
  2. A state of great joy; ecstasy or rapture.
  3. A piece of music of irregular form that suggests improvisation.
  4. An ancient Greek epic poem, or a part of one suitable for reciting at one time.
  5. (archaic) A miscellaneous collection; a jumble.

Word family

  • rhapsodize
  • rhapsodic
  • rhapsodist
  • rhapsode
  • ode

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Rhapsody.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/rhapsody. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·