enharmonic · adj — describing two or more identical or almost identical notes that are written differently when in different keys. (Whether they are identical and what the exact equivalences are depends on the tuning used.). It carries an Arena rating of 1388, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, enharmonic ranks #4,635 of 17,131 for Most Ponderous Words, #4,959 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #4,997 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #6,236 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
Why “enharmonic” is a great word
Describing two or more notes identical in pitch but written differently in musical notation, such as C♯ and D♭. From Latin enharmonicus, from Late Latin enarmonius, from Ancient Greek ἐναρμόνιος (enarmónios), from ἐν (en, "in") + ἁρμονία (harmonía, "harmony, joint, agreement"), first attested in English c. 1600. Unlike "diatonic" (which follows the settled, lawful steps of a key) or "chromatic" (which ventures freely through all twelve pitches), "enharmonic" reveals a secret identity—the same sound with two names. It is the black key pressed at the piano's center that answers to two masters, the ghost of one note haunting another on the staff, the quiet dissonance between what is heard and what is read—a testament to the gulf between the map of music and its territory.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Latin enharmonicus, from Late Latin enarmonius, from Ancient Greek ἐναρμόνιος (enarmónios), from ἐν (en)+ἁρμονία (harmonía).
adj
- Describing two or more identical or almost identical notes that are written differently when in different keys. (Whether they are identical and what the exact equivalences are depends on the tuning used.)e.g.“C sharp is enharmonic to D flat in twelve-tone equal temperament, but in most other tuning systems they are distinct pitches.”
- Of or pertaining to a tetrachord.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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