anthem
pronunciation
How to pronounce anthem in British English:
UK [ˈænθəm]
How to pronounce anthem in American English:
US [ˈænθəm]
-
- Noun:
- a song of devotion or loyalty (as to a nation or school)
- a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
Word Origin
- anthem
- anthem: [OE] Anthem is ultimately an alteration of antiphon ‘scriptural verse said or sung as a response’ (which was independently reborrowed into English from ecclesiastical Latin in the 15th century). It comes from Greek antíphōnos ‘responsive’, a compound formed from anti- ‘against’ and phōné ‘sound’ (source of English phonetic, telephone, etc).By the time it had become established in Old English, antiphon had already developed to antefn, and gradually the /v/ sound of the f became assimilated to the following n, producing antemne and eventually antem. The spelling with th begins to appear in the 15th century, perhaps influenced by Old French anthaine; it gradually altered the pronunciation.The meaning ‘antiphon’ died out in the 18th century, having been succeeded by ‘piece of choral church music’ and more generally ‘song of praise’. The specific application to a ‘national song’ began in the 19th century.=> antiphon, phonetic, telephone
- anthem (n.)
- Old English ontemn, antefn, "a composition (in prose or verse) sung antiphonally," from Late Latin antefana, from Greek antiphona "verse response" (see antiphon). Sense evolved to "a composition set to sacred music" (late 14c.), then "song of praise or gladness" (1590s). Used in reference to the English national song (technically, as OED points out, a hymn) and extended to those of other nations. Modern spelling is from late 16c., perhaps an attempt to make the word look more Greek.
Example
- 1. An island was never bought , but the pirate bay does have an official anthem now .
- 2. Rumours have spread that he will belt out something , perhaps an independence anthem .
- 3. The commissioner in charge of high school hockey emailed teams and suggested that they not sing the anthem .
- 4. To top it all off , he ends the movie with a rousing version of the socialist anthem , " the internationale " .
- 5. Even though there 's no official pirate state , pirate bay 's presence on the internet has led to an embassy of like minded people , and most recently an anthem .