Descant
/ˈdɛskænt/noun
A melody or commentary sung or played above a main theme; also, to speak at length or elaborate on a topic.
Did you know?In medieval music, a descant was an improvised higher voice over a chant, so the word originally belonged to the world of sacred song before it became a verb for elaborate speech.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
dis- + cantare
“to sing apart; to sing separately”
Old French
OF
descant
“a singing apart, a counter-melody; later, discourse”
Middle English
English
descant
“a counterpoint or melody sung above a plainchant”
14th-16th Century
English
descant
“to comment at length; to elaborate in speech or writing”
Modern English
English
descant
“a melody or counterpoint above a main melody; to speak or write at length”
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