Tuning
/ˈtjuː.nɪŋ/noun
The act of adjusting something to the correct pitch, frequency, or setting.
Did you know?“Tune” comes from the same ancient root as Latin *tonus* and Greek *tonos*, words tied to tension and pitch—so music was once literally understood as controlled strain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ten-
“to stretch, extend, or pull tight”
Ancient Greek
Greek
teínein
“to stretch or strain”
Latin
Latin
tonus
“a sound, tone, or pitch; tension”
Old French
Old French
ton
“sound, tone, musical pitch”
Middle English
English
tunen
“to put into proper order, to adjust the pitch of a musical instrument”
Modern English
English
tuning
“the act of adjusting pitch, frequency, or settings”