symphonia

Forms

symphōnia f (genitive symphōniae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek συμφωνία (sumphōnía, “agreement of sounds, harmony”).^[2][3][1][4] Köbler connects that word with Ancient Greek σύμφωνος (súmphōnos, “sounding together”), from ⟨σύν⟩ “together”.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Cicero,^[4] who has a band playing at a man's banquets.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It is a harmony of sounds, concord, as Vitruvius' bronze vessels set in theatres for musical harmonies.^[2] At Rome it is mostly a group of singers or musicians, a band, especially one performing at a feast: Cicero, Livy, Pliny the Elder and Seneca use it so.^[2][3] In Late Latin it is also a kind of musical instrument, described by Isidore of Seville and mentioned by Jerome.^[3] Church Latin glosses it music, symphony, concert, band, orchestra.^[5] Etymonline traces English sinfonia to it through Italian.^[6]

Timeline

• 81–43 BC – Cicero of a band at a banquet.^[2][4]
• c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius of musical harmonies.^[2]
• c. 560–636 AD – Isidore of Seville of a musical instrument.^[3][4]

Meanings

Noun

1. An agreement of sounds, harmony, concord.^[2][3][1]
2. A group of musicians or singers, a band;^[2][3][5] a concert.^[5]
3. (Late Latin) A kind of musical instrument.^[3][1]

Word family

• symphōniacus

Related words

• English symphony

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com