dis-

apart, away; reversal or negation

Forms

dis-
di- — Shortened in certain Latin compounds.
dif- — Used before f in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *dis, ‘apart,’ associated with the idea of ‘two.’

Note

Separating things supplied a route from physical apartness to undoing an action.

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noun / verb

descant

DES-kant/ˈdeskænt/

A high melody sung or played above a main tune.

The score adds a high descant above the continuing lower melody.

A single music manuscript leaf compares a low-register main tune played alone with the same tune retained beneath an added, independently moving high melody.

Etymology

desLatinapart, away; reversal or negation

+cantLatinsinging or song

The pieces suggest a song apart from the main melody: originally, a counterpoint added to an existing tune. The word later also named the upper voice, giving the sense of a melody above the main tune.

More examples

The flute adds a bright descant to the final verse.
A solo violin descants above the orchestra's main melody.
Our choir director writes descants for traditional carols.

Forms

descant · descants · descanted · descanting

Similar words

countermelody: An accompanying melody that need not be higher in pitch.
counterpoint: Independent melodies combined together, not specifically a high accompanying line.