rhapsody
English
editEtymology
editThe noun is derived from Latin rhapsōdia (“part of an epic poem suitable for uninterrupted recitation”), from Koine Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, “part of an epic poem suitable for uninterrupted recitation; rigmarole”), Ancient Greek ῥαψῳδία (rhapsōidía, “composition or recitation of Epic poetry”), from ῥαψῳδός (rhapsōidós, “composer or performer of Epic poetry”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-íā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).[1] Ῥαψῳδός (Rhapsōidós) is derived from ῥᾰ́πτω (rháptō, “to sew”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *werb- (“to bend; to turn”)) + ᾠδή (ōidḗ, “ode; song”) (ultimately from Proto-Hellenic *awoidā́ (“song”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming o-grade action nouns).
Sense 2.2 (“instrumental composition of irregular form”) probably developed from sense 2.1 (“exaggeratedly enthusiastic or exalted expression of feeling in speech or writing”), and both of these senses may have been influenced by rapture (“extreme excitement, happiness, or pleasure”), the latter being a quality associated with the senses. Sense 2.3 (“literary composition consisting of miscellaneous works”) is borrowed from Middle French rhapsodie (modern French rhapsodie), from Latin rhapsōdia: see above. [1]
The verb is derived from the noun.[2]
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈɹæpsədi/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Hyphenation: rhap‧so‧dy
Noun
editrhapsody (plural rhapsodies)
- (Ancient Greece, poetry, historical) An epic poem, or part of one, suitable for uninterrupted recitation.
- (by extension)
- (sometimes with a negative connotation) An exaggeratedly enthusiastic or exalted expression of feeling in speech or writing.
- 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
- Of course here Mr. Pen went off into a rhapsody through which, as we have perfect command over our own feelings, we have no reason to follow the lad. Of course, love, truth, and eternity were produced: and words were tried but found impossible to plumb the tremendous depth of his affection.
- (music) An instrumental composition of irregular form, often incorporating improvisation.
- (archaic) A random collection or medley; a miscellany; also, a confused string of stories, words, etc.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], lines 41-48:
- Such an act / That blurs the grace and blush of modesty; / Calls virtue hypocrite; takes off the rose / From the fair forehead of an innocent love / And sets a blister there; makes marriage vows / As false as dicers' oaths; O, such a deed / As from the body of contraction plucks / The very soul, and sweet religion makes / A rhapsody of words!
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
- This concerneth not those mingle-mangles of many kinds of stuffe, or as the Grecians call them Rapsodies, that for such are published […].
- a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC, page 49:
- He, that makes no reflexions on what he reads, only loads his mind with a rhapsody of tales fit for the entertainment of others.
- (sometimes with a negative connotation, obsolete) A literary composition consisting of miscellaneous works.
- (sometimes with a negative connotation) An exaggeratedly enthusiastic or exalted expression of feeling in speech or writing.
Derived terms
edit- rhapsoder (obsolete)
- rhapsodically
- rhapsodical (partly)
- rhapsodic (partly)
- rhapsodised, rhapsodized (adjective)
- rhapsodise, rhapsodize
- rhapsodism
- rhapsodist
Related terms
edit- rhapsode
- rhapsodic (partly)
- rhapsodical (partly)
- rhapsodomancy
Translations
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Verb
editrhapsody (third-person singular simple present rhapsodies, present participle rhapsodying, simple past and past participle rhapsodied)
- Synonym of rhapsodize
- (transitive)
- To say (something) with exaggerated or rapturous enthusiasm.
- (obsolete, rare) To perform (a rhapsody (“an epic poem, or part of one, suitable for uninterrupted recitation”))
- (intransitive) Followed by about, on, over, or upon: to speak with exaggerated or rapturous enthusiasm.
- (transitive)
Translations
editReferences
edit- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “rhapsody, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2022.; “rhapsody, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ^ “rhapsody, v.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
Further reading
edit- rhapsody (music) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- rhapsody (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
edit- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *werb-
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Koine Greek
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms derived from Proto-Hellenic
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Ancient Greece
- en:Poetry
- English terms with historical senses
- English terms with quotations
- en:Music
- English terms with archaic senses
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with rare senses
- English intransitive verbs