Nocturne
/ˈnɒk.tɜːn/noun
A short piece of music inspired by or evocative of the night.
Did you know?The word comes through French from Latin nocturnus, and its deepest root is the same ancient night-root behind words like nocturnal and equinox.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nókʷts
“night”
Latin
Latin
noctem
“night”
Late Latin
Latin
nocturnus
“of the night; nightly”
Old French
Old French
nocturne
“nocturnal; nighttime”
18th–19th Century
French/English
nocturne
“a musical composition evoking the night”
Modern English
English
nocturne
“a short piece of music inspired by or evocative of the night”