fa English · revision 6854

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1325|origins=la famulus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /fɑ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-med|fa]], the first syllable of Latin [[m|la|famuli|t=servants]], the word sung to this note in the hymn for the feast of Saint John the Baptist (see [[gamut]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) It was used in Old French from the 13th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The fourth note of the scale in Guido's hexachords: about 1325 in the OED, before 1300 in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The note names were taken by Guido from the opening syllables of each line of the hymn ''Ut queant laxis''.^(NODE 1998)^(Barnhart 1988) The spelling fah is a later variant.^(Hoad 1986) A verb, to sing to fa, is recorded in 1592.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1325 – the fourth note.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1592 – the verb.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(music)'' The fourth note of a major [[scale]] in [[solmization]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fah]]

+ * [[gamut]]

+ * [[sol-fa]]

+ * [[do]]

+ * [[re]]

+ * [[mi]]

+ * [[famulus]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}