polyphonous
- adjective
- /ˌpɒlɪˈfoʊnəs/
- Specialized
:
polifónico
- Composers of the Baroque era often created polyphonous works that showcased the interplay of multiple musical lines.
Examples
-
The choir performed a polyphonous piece that filled the hall with rich, intertwining melodies.
-
They produce polyphonous rhythms with dried bamboo sticks and sing songs to entice Etangala to show his prowess (Fig. 12).
Academic text (2008) -
Life is kept multi-dimensional and polyphonous.
Academic text (2000) -
In her latest album, the artist explored polyphonous arrangements that highlighted the harmony between different instruments.
Synonyms
2
7.2
Two or more independent melodies that sound at the same time
How Polyphonic
- Specialized
2
9.6
- Specialized
28
3.4
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
polyphonous = poly + phon + ous
The meaning is built from classical elements meaning 'many' and 'sound/voice' plus the adjectival suffix '-ous', but the learned combining form makes the word less accessible to an average learner.
Etymology
The word polyphonous comes from Greek parts poly- 'many' and phon- 'sound', the same phon in phone and symphony. So a polyphonous piece has two or more separate melodies heard together.