Hymni

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Songs of praise or religious odes typically sung in worship or solemn ceremony; written compositions expressing reverence or devotion; a genre of sacred poetry intended for collective or individual recitation
2. Musical pieces intended to honor a deity or sacred concept, often performed during religious gatherings; poetic works celebrating virtuous qualities or legendary figures; texts set to melody that inspire spiritual reflection
3. Structured lyrical compositions designed to express adoration and commitment in a sacred context; formulations of devotional sentiments arranged for chanting or singing; literary creations venerating divine or exalted subjects through verse and song

Etymology: Latin "hymnus" was borrowed from Greek "hymnos", and the Greek word originally meant any song of praise, not specifically a religious one. Homeric poems and the odes of Pindar were called hymns, and the Greek word appears in the sense of a festive or celebratory song long before Christian worship adopted it. The Greek term is generally traced to an uncertain pre-Greek origin, so no firm root can be given for it. The Latin Church Fathers took the word into Christian usage. The Psalms were sung in the early church, and writers such as Ambrose of Milan composed hymns in Latin, which set the pattern for sacred verse sung in worship. Their Latin plural "hymni" was the form that English speakers sometimes treated as a pattern for the singular. In English, "hymn" entered the language in Old English times, as a loan from Latin through the church, and it was already used for sacred song by then. The plural "hymni" appears in the sense of several songs of praise, which is why it is the form you have here.

Synonyms: hymns