Why “descant” is a great word
DESCANT — [Noun, Verb] A distinct melody sung or played above a principal theme, or, figuratively, an elaborate discourse; to perform such a melody or to speak at length. From Anglo-Norman *descaunt*, from Medieval Latin *discantus*, from Latin *dis-* ("apart, in different directions") + *cantus* ("song"). Unlike *discant*, its precise sibling reserved for medieval polyphonic practice, or *harmony*, which concerns the vertical blending of chords, a descant is a horizontal flight of fancy—a separate but related thread woven above the tapestry. It is the clear, soaring flute above a hymn's sturdy foundation, the virtuosic ornamentation in a jazz solo that spirals away from the tune, or the solitary skylark ascending against the steady hum of the earth. It is the art of adornment that, by its very departure, completes the whole.