melody

Where does the word "melody" come from? It comes from Greek meloidia, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Melody’s story begins in Greek: meloidia meant “a song, singing.” A singing, from melos (song) and aeidein (to sing). By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as melodie. Carried into French musical vocabulary. It reached English by 1300s as melody. Settled as the English word for a musical tune. Today, melody means a sequence of musical notes forming a distinct tune.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient meloidia "a song, singing", a singing, from melos (song) and aeidein (to sing).
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval melodie "a pleasing sequence of musical notes", carried into French musical vocabulary.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s melody "a pleasing sequence of musical notes", settled as the English word for a musical tune.