Polyphony
/pəˈlɪf.ə.ni/noun
Music or sound made of two or more independent melodic lines sounding together.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek roots that also gave us “telephone” and “symphony,” all built around the ancient idea of voice, sound, and things sounding together.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
polyphōnia
“many-voicedness; multiple voices sounding together”
Late Latin
Latin
polyphonia
“many-voicedness”
Middle French
Old French
polyphonie
“polyphony; many-voiced music”
14th-15th Century
English
polyphonie
“music with several parts or voices”
Modern English
English
polyphony
“music or sound with two or more independent melodic lines”
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