diatonic
Meanings
Adjective
- based on the standard major or minor scales consisting of 5 tones and 2 semitones without modulation by accidentals
Adjective Satellite
- based on or using the five tones and two semitones of the major or minor scales of western music
Adj
- Relating to or characteristic of a musical scale which contains seven pitches and a pattern of five whole tones and two semitones; particularly, of the major or natural minor scales.
Origin / Etymology
From French diatonique or Late Latin diatonicus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διατονικός (diatonikós), in the phrase [γένος (génos, “type, genus”)] διατονικός (diatonikós) (in reference to the diatonic tetrachord, and in contrast to the chromatic and enharmonic tetrachords), from διάτονος (diátonos) (διά (diá) + τόνος (tónos)), of disputed etymology, as both components are ambiguous.
Most plausibly, διάτονος (diátonos) refers to “stretched intervals”, as the intervals of the diatonic tetrachord are the most evenly distributed or “stretched out”, compared to the chromatic and enharmonic tetrads, which use smaller, more crowded together intervals. Compare pyknon, from πυκνός (puknós, “dense, compressed”), referring to the lower part of the non-diatonic tetrachords: the diatonic tetrachord has widely spaced notes (“stretched out”), while the other tetrachords have a closely spaced notes (“compressed”).
Antonyms
Scrabble Score: 11
diatonic is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL worddiatonic is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
diatonic is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary