Prosody
/ˈprɒs.ə.di/noun
The patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech or verse.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek prosōidía, a term tied to singing or chanting “to” something, which is why prosody has always been about the voice’s ritual-like rise and fall.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eud-
“to sing; to sound”
Ancient Greek
Greek
prosōidía
“song sung to a musical accompaniment; accent or tone”
Late Latin
Latin
prosodia
“accentuation or the quantity of syllables”
Old French
Old French
prosodie
“prosody; the study of verse rhythm and accent”
16th Century
English
prosodie
“the rules governing verse, accent, and pronunciation”
Modern English
English
prosody
“the patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech or verse”