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baryton

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Etymology and origin of the French word baryton

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1589 More words from the 16th century
Borrowed from
Ancient Greek βαρύτονος
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek βαρύτονος

Pronunciation

  • /ba.ʁi.tɔ̃/[1]

Forms

baryton m (plural barytons)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek βαρύτονος (barútonos, “deep-toned”), a term of Greek grammar for a word whose last syllable is unaccented (2nd century BC), and since Aristotle an adjective for a deep voice or note.[2][3][4] Wiktionary has it come through Late Latin barytonus.[1] The Greek word is formed from βαρύς (barús, “heavy, deep”) and τόνος (tónos, “tone”).[3][4][5] The DHLF relates the Greek adjective to Latin gravis, the source of grave.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Grand Robert, the Petit Robert and the DHLF date the word to 1589, and the DHLF notes that barytonnant is older.[4][6][3] It was first a term of the grammarians of Greek, recorded in 1655 according to Bloch and Wartburg, for a word not accented on its last syllable.[3][7][8]

Semantic evolution

The musical sense came later: in the 17th and 18th centuries the word named a bass viola d'amore, and since 1768 the male voice between tenor and bass, now its main sense.[3][7] By extension it names the singer who has that voice (1834), and by analogy wind instruments with the same range, such as the saxophone baryton, whence un baryton for the instrument.[2][3] In military bands it named a brass instrument of the saxhorn family (recorded in 1928).[2]

Timeline

  • 1452 – The derivative barytonnant is recorded.[3]
  • 1589 – First record of baryton.[4][6][3]
  • 1655 – Used as a term of Greek grammar.[7][8]
  • 1768 – It names a man's voice between tenor and bass.[7][8][3]
  • 1803 – Boiste defines the voice and a kind of bass viol.[2]
  • 1834 – It is used of the singer himself.[2]
  • 1928 – The Larousse du XXe siècle records it for a brass instrument of military bands.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A baritone, the male voice between tenor and bass: une voix de baryton.[6][8][5]
  2. A singer with this voice;[6][8] baryton Martin: a light, high operatic baritone.[6][8]
  3. A wind instrument with the range of this voice, such as the baritone saxophone; formerly a bass viol.[6][2][3]
  4. (Greek grammar) A word with no accent on its last syllable.[6][5]

Adjective

  1. (Greek grammar) Barytone: not accented on the last syllable, as opposed to oxytone: un verbe baryton.[5][6][1]
  2. (music) Having the range of a baritone voice: saxophone baryton, trombone baryton.[6][1]

Usage notes

Littré gives two headwords, the musical noun and the grammatical adjective, both from Greek barútonos; here they are one word.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  8. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Baryton.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/baryton. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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