solmiser

Forms

solmiser (transitive verb)^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French sol² + mi + -er, from the names of two notes of the scale with the verb ending.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} An earlier verb solmifier with the same sense is recorded in 1703 in the dictionary of Sébastien de Brossard.^[1][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Marnix de Sainte-Aldegonde, who died in 1598, where a mass is bien solmisee et bien gringottee, probably “well sung”; the TLFi finds this use only in that author.^[1]

Semantic evolution

The word returned in the dictionaries of the 19th century: Boiste has it in 1812 for “to sol-fa”,^[1][7] while the Grand Robert and the GLLF date it to Boiste's edition of 1829.^[2][3] It belongs to the history of music, to the method of singing the notes in the system of hexachords used before the modern scale;^[1][4] Littré calls it an old term and gives it the same sense as solfier.^[1][4] The noun solmisation is recorded from 1821.^[1]

Timeline

• before 1598 – Marnix writes of a mass bien solmisee, probably “well sung”.^[1]
• 1703 – Brossard records the earlier verb solmifier.^[1][2]
• 1812 – Boiste records solmiser “to sol-fa”.^[1][7]
• 1821 – The noun solmisation is recorded in Castil-Blaze's dictionary of music.^[1]

Meanings

Verb

1. (history of music) To sol-fa in the system of hexachords, singing or reading a piece of plainchant with the syllable assigned to each note.^[1][4][5]

Word family

• solmisation

Related words

• solfier
• sol²
• mi

Usage notes

The TLFi and Littré treat the verb as transitive, the GLLF as intransitive (“to practise solmization”).^[1][4][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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
2. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
5. ^ a b Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org
6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 12, 82b
7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF