Song

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɒŋ/

Definitions

1. A musical composition with lyrics intended to be sung, typically featuring melody, rhythm, and verses
2. A lyrical composition set to melody and performed vocally, or the act of singing itself
3. A piece of music created to be performed by the human voice with words or melody ; a patterned sound produced by animals, often for communication or mating

Etymology: The word "song" has a surprising relationship with "sing" that goes beyond ordinary grammar: the two are not a noun and verb built from one another, but come from a shared ancient root that also gave the Greek "omphe," meaning "voice" or "oracle." Old English had "sang," which meant singing or a song, and it developed from a Proto-Germanic form meaning the same thing. That early sense of the act of singing is still visible in the way the noun and verb sit so close together today. The Old English "sang" lived on into Middle English as "song," and the spelling change reflects a vowel shift that happened over the following centuries. Sisters of the word are spread across the Germanic languages, including Dutch "zang," German "Sang," Swedish "sång," and Icelandic "söngur," all meaning song.

Synonyms: tune, melody, hymn, chant, ballad

Antonyms: silence, noise