chromaticus

Forms

chrōmaticus (feminine chrōmatica, neuter chrōmaticum); first/second-declension adjective^[1][2] Medieval texts also spell it cromaticus.^[3][4]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek χρωματικός (khrōmatikós, “relating to colour; chromatic”),^[1][4][2][5] from χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”).^[4][6] Isidore of Seville connected the word with the Greek for colour, explaining it as said of someone who does not change colour.^[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Vitruvius uses it in music, of the chromatic genus of melody.^[8][9][1]

Semantic evolution

In late antiquity Macrobius names three genera of melody, the enharmonic, the diatonic and the chromatic, and calls the chromatic disreputable for its softness;^[8][2] Martianus Capella and Boethius use the same terms.^[8][9] Isidore and the glossaries give it a second sense, of a shameless person: one gloss puts it beside procax and protervus.^[8][7]

Medieval music theory kept the musical sense,^[5][10][9] and the feminine was used as a noun for the chromatic tetrachord.^[10] English chromatic comes from the Latin word, first in music, about 1600.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of the chromatic genus in music.^[8][4]
• first half of the 5th century AD – Macrobius lists the chromatic among the three genera of melody.^[8][4]
• 5th century AD – Martianus Capella speaks of chromatic intervals.^[8][9][4]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville explains it as said of someone who is not ashamed and does not change colour.^[8][7][4]
• c. 1600 – English borrows it as chromatic, in music.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. (music) chromatic, of the chromatic genus of melody.^[1][8][9][5]
2. (of a person) Unabashed, shameless.^[8][7]
3. (Medieval Latin, music, feminine as a noun) The chromatic tetrachord.^[10]

Related words

• chroma
• English chromatic

References

1. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
2. ^ a b c Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
3. ^ Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
4. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
6. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Isidore of Seville, Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX, ed. W. M. Lindsay (Oxford, 1911).
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
9. ^ a b c d e Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz
10. ^ a b c Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press