harmonia

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [harˈmɔ.ni.a]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [arˈmɔː.ni.a]^[1]

Forms

harmonia f (genitive harmoniae); first declension^[1] Lucretius has the archaic genitive harmoniāī.^[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἁρμονία (harmonía, “joining, agreement, concord of sounds”), from the root of ἁρμός (harmós, “joint”), Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to fit together”).^[3][1][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucretius, of a joining.^[3] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In Lucretius it was a joining, coupling, and the harmony of the parts of the body that some took for the soul; in Cicero it was a melody, the arrangement of notes in a musical scale, and a concord of sounds.^[3][6]

Medieval Latin used it for melody, singing, and sound.^[7] British Medieval Latin used it for fitting together, as of the bones of saints.^[8] English harmony came through Old French harmonie in the late 14th century.^[5]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of music.^[3][4]
• late 14th century – English harmony is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A joining, coupling.^[3]
2. A melody; the order of notes in a scale.^[3]
3. Harmony, concord of sounds or parts.^[3][2]

Word family

• harmoniōsus

Related words

• harmonicus
• English harmony

Usage notes

Harmonia, daughter of Mars and Venus and wife of Cadmus, is the same word as a proper name.^[3][2][5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ 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