cacophony English · revision 1601

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kəˈkɒfəni/ ''(UK)''; /kəˈkɑfəni/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|κακοφωνία|tr=kakophōnía]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) probably by way of [[fr|cacophonie]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from ''kakóphōnos'' “ill-sounding”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from ''kakós'' “bad” and ''phōnḗ'' “sound, voice”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The quality of sounding harsh; the use of harsh-sounding words or phrases (1656), the opposite of [[euphony]].^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word began as a term of style for harsh-sounding language.^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) From 1789 it was applied to discordant sounds in music,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and it now most often means any jarring mixture of noises.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1587 – French ''cacophonie''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1656 – harsh sound in words or phrases.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * before 1789 – discord in music.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1797 – ''cacophonous''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Harsh, jarring sound; [[dissonance]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A discordant, meaningless mixture of sounds.^(RHWU)

+ # The use of harsh-sounding words in writing, as for poetic effect.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cacophonous]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[dissonance]]

+ * [[harmony]]

+ * [[euphony]]

+ * [[symphony]]

+ * [[phonetic]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}