DictionaryRoot: tonos
Greek
tonos
tension, pitch, or tone
Forms
- tonos
- ton- — Used before other endings.
Origin
From Greek teinein, “stretch.”
Note
A stretched string connects physical tension with musical pitch.
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noun / adjective
tonic
The first note of a musical scale, serving as its tonal center.
Etymology
The Greek word developed a musical meaning of tone. The tonic is the governing tone that establishes the home position of a scale or key.