modular

modular¹ to modulate

Etymology tree of modular¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin modus

French mode

English mode

Italian moda

Spanish moda

Italian modo

Spanish modo

Latin modulus

Latin modulor

English modulate

Spanish modular

From the same root · modular¹

Latin commodus ← modus

Latin huiuscemodi ← modus

Latin modicus ← modus

Latin modificō ← modus

Latin modius ← modus

Latin modō̆ ← modus

Latin multimodīs ← modus

Latin omnimodīs ← modus

Latin propemodum ← modus

Latin quodammodo ← modus

Latin quōmodo ← modus

English mood ← mode

Latin modulātiō ← modulor

Latin modulātus ← modulor

Pronunciation

• /moduˈlaɾ/, [mo.ð̞uˈlaɾ]^[1]

Forms

modular (first-person singular present modulo, first-person singular preterite modulé, past participle modulado)^[1]

Etymology

The word for “to modulate” is borrowed from Latin modulārī (“to regulate sounds, to set to rhythm”).^[2][3][4] Vox calls it a 15th-century borrowing, and Corominas dates it to about 1450, but the CDH and DEMel have older records of the verb from the 13th century.^[3][4][5][6] García de Diego calls it a learned word beside the inherited moldar from the same Latin verb.^[7] The Latin verb is formed from modulus (“a small measure”), a diminutive of modus (“measure”).^[8][1]

The same Latin verb gave Catalan modular, French moduler and Italian modulare.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Berceo's Del sacrificio de la misa (1228–1246, in an early 14th-century copy) has the participle of singing: cantan los Agnus en voz bien modulada “they sing the Agnus in a well-tuned voice”.^[5][6] The Libro de Alexandre (1240–1250) has the finite verb: modulavan a çierto las cuerdas e los claves “the strings and keys sounded in tune”.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The Diccionario de Autoridades defined it as an intransitive verb, to sing with harmony and variety of voice.^[10] The Academy's 1843 edition gave the musical sense of passing from one key to another, and Salvá noted in 1846 that it was often used as a transitive verb.^[11][12] Today it is mainly transitive: to vary the qualities of the voice, to change the factors of a process, and in electronics to vary the amplitude, frequency or phase of a carrier wave; the intransitive use survives in music.^[2][13]

Timeline

• 1228–1246 – the participle modulada in Berceo's Del sacrificio de la misa.^[5][6]
• 1240–1250 – modulavan in the Libro de Alexandre.^[5]
• 1442 – Juan de Mena's Homero romanzado has modulando.^[5]
• c. 1450 – Corominas's date.^[4]
• 1726–1739 – the Diccionario de Autoridades enters it as an intransitive verb of singing.^[10]
• 1884 – the Academy's dictionary gives the etymology from the Latin verb.^[14]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) To vary the qualities of the sound of the voice in speech or song: modulate: Aprendió a modular la voz en el coro.^[2][1]
2. (transitive) To change the factors of a process to obtain different results.^[2]
3. (transitive, electronics) To vary the amplitude, frequency or phase of a carrier wave according to a signal.^[2][13]
4. (intransitive, music) To pass from one key to another.^[2]

modular² modular

Pronunciation

• /moduˈlaɾ/, [mo.ð̞uˈlaɾ]^[1]

Forms

modular m or f (masculine and feminine plural modulares)^[1]

Etymology

Vox explains the adjective “of modules” as a derivative: it is from Spanish módulo (“module”).^[3][15] The DLE gives it no etymology and defines it as relating to the module.^[2] The noun is first recorded in 1444 and comes from modulus, a diminutive of modus.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Moliner gives only the sense “of the module”.^[13] Vox has the sense in use today, made up of modules, said of furniture or sound systems.^[13][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Relating to a módulo.^[2]
2. modular: made up of modules: una estantería modular.^[3][1]