symphony
pronunciation
How to pronounce symphony in British English:
UK [ˈsɪmfəni]
How to pronounce symphony in American English:
US [ˈsɪmfəni]
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- Noun:
- a long and complex sonata for symphony orchestra
- a large orchestra; can perform symphonies
Word Origin
- symphony
- symphony: [13] Symphony originally meant ‘harmony’; it was not used for a ‘large-scale piece of orchestral music in several movements’ until the late 18th century. The word came via Old French symphonie and Latin symphōnia from Greek sumphōníā, a derivative of súmphōnos ‘harmonious’. This was a compound adjective formed from the prefix sun- ‘together’ and phōné ‘sound’ (source of English phone, phonetic, etc).=> phone, phonetic
- symphony (n.)
- c. 1300, a name given to various types of musical instruments, from Old French simphonie, sifonie, simfone "musical harmony; stringed instrument" (12c., Modern French symphonie) and directly from Latin symphonia "a unison of sounds, harmony," from Greek symphonia "harmony, concord of sounds," from symphonos "harmonious, agreeing in sound," from assimilated form of syn- "together" (see syn-) + phone "voice, sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say" (see fame (n.)). Meaning "harmony of sounds" in English is attested from late 14c.; sense of "music in parts" is from 1590s. "It was only after the advent of Haydn that this word began to mean a sonata for full orchestra. Before that time it meant a prelude, postlude, or interlude, or any short instrumental work." ["Elson's Music Dictionary"] Meaning "elaborate orchestral composition" first attested 1789. Elliptical for "symphony orchestra" from 1926. Diminutive symphonette is recorded from 1947.
Example
- 1. Winter finds palm trees dusted with snow in a surreal symphony .
- 2. Next season it even plans to perform a schumann symphony .
- 3. Includes new scores for background music - some done by london symphony just for apple .
- 4. The north korean state symphony orchestra plans to perform in london this summer .
- 5. Michael jordan wasn 't there , but is scheduled to be at the ceremony at symphony hall .