tonus Latin · revision 7016

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=Vitruvius|origins=ine-pro *ten-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈtɔ.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɔː.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''tonus''' ''m'' (genitive tonī); second declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|grc|τόνος|tr=tónos|t=stretching, tension, tone]], from Proto-Hellenic *tónos, from [[ine-pro|*tón-os]], from [[ine-pro|*ten-|t=to stretch]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Köbler 2010) It is also written in the Greek form ⟨tonos⟩.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Vitruvius, of the tension of a rope and of musical pitch.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Vitruvius c. 84–c. 25 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant the stretching or tension of a rope, as in Vitruvius' war engines, then the pitch of a sound, a musical note, and the interval of a tone, and Pliny uses it of a unit of distance in astronomy.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Gaffiot 2016) Pliny also uses it of a degree of light or shade in painting.^(OLD 2012) Gaffiot adds the accent of a syllable, and Seneca apparently uses it of a peal of thunder, perhaps by confusion with [[tonō]] “to thunder”.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(OLD 2012) Isidore defines it as the high pronunciation of the voice, a difference and measure of harmony.^(Isidore)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant tone, sound, accent.^(Stelten 1995) Medieval Latin used it of a melody, a church tone.^(Niermeyer 1976) [[en|tone]] came in the mid-14th century through Old French ''ton'' and directly from Latin, and [[en|tune]] is an unexplained variant of it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 84–c. 25 BC – Vitruvius uses it of tension and of pitch.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 23/24–79 AD – Pliny uses it of astronomical distance and of shade in painting.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it apparently of thunder.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * mid-14th century – English ''tone'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Tension, strain.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The [[m|en|pitch]] of a sound, ''(music)'' a note, a [[m|en|tone]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(astronomy)'' A unit of distance.^(OLD 2012)

+ # A degree of light or shade.^(OLD 2012)

+ # The accent of a syllable.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+ # A peal of thunder.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' A melody, [[m|en|tune]].^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[tonō]]

+ * [[en|tone]]

+ * [[en|tune]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}