entry
intone
/ɪnˈtoʊn/to speak or sing in a measured tone
From Latin in- (in) + Latin, from Ancient Greek tonus (strain).
from Latin in- "in" (see in- (2)) + tonus "tone,"
from Old French entoner "to sing, chant" (13c.)
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin in- "in" (see in- (2)) + tonus "tone,"
from Old French entoner "to sing, chant" (13c.)
+1 more sourcePicture a medieval cantor preparing to launch a hymn: he is not merely making noise, but placing his voice into a particular tone. That idea lies behind Medieval Latin intonare, “to sing according to tone,” built from in- and tonus, the word for tension or pitch. Tonus came from Greek τόνος, literally something stretched—an excellent image for a tightened string vibrating into music. By the late fourteenth century, English speakers had reshaped Old French entoner into entune and entone, eventually settling on intone. So when a lecturer intones a warning, the word still carries a faint memory of a singer stretching sound into the right pitch.
The Story
Picture a medieval cantor preparing to launch a hymn: he is not merely making noise, but placing his voice into a particular tone. That idea lies behind Medieval Latin intonare, “to sing according to tone,” built from in- and tonus, the word for tension or pitch. Tonus came from Greek τόνος, literally something stretched—an excellent image for a tightened string vibrating into music. By the late fourteenth century, English speakers had reshaped Old French entoner into entune and entone, eventually settling on intone. So when a lecturer intones a warning, the word still carries a faint memory of a singer stretching sound into the right pitch.
Modern Usage
to understand, interpret, pick up on, or resonate with
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entry using intone in the sense “to understand” or “pick up on”
Kin & Kindred
From 'in-'·in, into; here marking entry into a tone or vocal mode
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'tonus'·strain, tension, pitch, tone
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-ō'·verb-forming suffix or ending
Derived Terms
English words from this root