dirge

pronunciation

How to pronounce dirge in British English: UK [dɜ:dʒ] word uk audio image

How to pronounce dirge in American English: US [dɜrdʒ] word us audio image

Noun:

a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Word Origin

dirge: dirge: [16] Dirge is an anglicization of Latin dīrige, the imperative singular of dīrigere ‘guide’ (source of English direct). It is the first word in the Latin version of Psalm 5, verse 8: Dirige, Domīne, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam ‘Direct, O Lord, my God, my way in thy sight’ (the Authorized Version expands this to ‘Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of my enemies; make thy way straight before thy face’). This formed an antiphon in the Office of the Dead (the funeral service) and hence came to be associated with songs of mourning, and with gloomy singing in general.=> direct

dirge (n.): early 13c., dirige (current contracted form is from c. 1400), from Latin dirige "direct!" imperative of dirigere "to direct," probably from antiphon Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam, "Direct, O Lord, my God, my way in thy sight," from Psalm v:9, which opened the Matins service in the Office of the Dead. Transferred sense of "any funeral song" is from c. 1500.

1. Nor was the film a melancholy dirge ; it was entertaining , even funny , always fascinating .

2. A generation later , as kids began to hunker down , mr. springsteen wrote his depressing , dead-end dirge , " the ghost of tom joad . "

3. While a brass band played a repetitive dirge the throng of strangers carrying paper bags of remains pushed and shoved their way onto the boat , jostling for prime position so they could be first to dump their loved one 's remains into the east china sea .