mélodique

Forms

mélodique (plural mélodiques)^[1] First spelled melodic (1600).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from French mélodie + -ique.^[2][1][4] Rey thinks it was perhaps modelled on Ancient Greek μελῳδικός (melōidikós), and the TLFi notes the Greek adjective too.^[3][2] The base noun is from Late Latin melōdia, from Ancient Greek μελῳδία (melōidía).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in 1600, spelled melodic, in Jean de Montlyard's Mythologie, of a lute that gives out musical sounds.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The spelling mélodique and the musical sense “relating to melody” appear with son mélodique in Dubos (1733),^[2][6] and the Académie recorded it in 1836.^[5][7] It covers mélodie in all its technical senses and, in music, is opposed to harmonique.^[3][8] Since 1933, when Marouzeau recorded accent mélodique, linguistics has used it for the rise of the voice on a vowel of a word or phrase.^[2][5][3]

Timeline

• 1600 – Luth melodic in Montlyard's Mythologie.^[2]
• 1733 – Dubos writes son mélodique.^[2]
• 1836 – The Académie records mélodique.^[5][7]
• 1933 – Marouzeau records accent mélodique in linguistics.^[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (music) Relating to or belonging to melody: phrase mélodique, intervalle mélodique, ligne mélodique.^[6][9][2]
2. Having the character of a melody, tuneful.^[6]
3. (linguistics) Accent mélodique: a pitch accent, a rise of the voice on a vowel.^[5][2]

Related words

• mélodie
• mélodieux
• mélodiste

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
5. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
7. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
9. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)