Melodise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To create or set words or music to a pleasing melodic tune
2. To compose a melody for something or arrange it with a memorable tune
3. To write or adapt music so that it has a distinctive and flowing melodic line

Etymology: "Melodise" is the British spelling of "melodize," which means to make something melodious or to set words to music. Its history is simple: it is built from "melody," which comes through Old French "melodie" from Latin "melodia" and Greek "melōidia" (singing, from "melos," song, and "ōidē," ode), plus the suffix "-ize," from Greek "-izein," which turns a noun into a verb meaning to make, cause to become, or treat in a certain way. The suffix does most of the work here. Attached to a noun, it creates verbs such as "criticize," "modernize," and "civilize," and "melodize" follows the same pattern, meaning roughly "to turn into melody." The verb is therefore a transparent compound of two older parts, with no surprising detour in its formation.

Synonyms: melodize, harmonize