prosody
|pros-o-dy|
C1
🇺🇸
/ˈprɑsədi/
🇬🇧
/ˈprɒsədi/
rhythm and intonation of speech
Etymology
Etymology Information
'prosody' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'prosōidía', where 'pros-' meant 'toward' and 'ōidē' meant 'song'.
Historical Evolution
'prosōidía' passed into Latin as 'prosodia', then into Old French 'prosodie' and Middle English 'prosody'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'song sung to music', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in speech and poetry'.
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Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in spoken language; the melodic and rhythmic aspects of speech.
The therapist worked on the child's prosody to improve expressive speech.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/18 04:52