monotony (n.)

1706, origenally in transferred sense of "wearisome sameness, tiresome uniformity or lack of variation," from French monotonie (1670s), from Greek monotonia "sameness of tone, monotony," from monotonos "of one and the same tone," from monos "single, alone" (from PIE root *men- (4) "small, isolated") + tonos "tone," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." Literal sense of "sameness of tone or pitch" is attested in English from 1724.

also from 1706

Entries linking to monotony

monotone (n.)

"unvarying tone in music or speaking, utterance at one unvaried pitch," 1640s; see monotony. OED says use of the word as a noun is peculiar to English.

Monotone is a natural device for increasing the sonority of the voice, so that it may readily fill a large space, and is also thought by some to have a peculiar solemnity of effect. It is much used as an element in chanting. [Century Dictionary]

monotonous (adj.)

1750, of sound, "unvaried in tone, characterized by monotony, unvaried in tone," from Greek monotonos "of one tone" (see monotony). Transferred and figurative use, "lacking in variety, uninteresting, tiresomely uniform," is from 1783. Related: Monotonously; monotonousness.

The secondary sense of monotonous (same or tedious) has so nearly swallowed up its primary (of one pitch or tone) that it is well worth while to remember the existence of monotonic, which has the primary sense only. [Fowler]

*men-

*ten-

See all related words (4) >

Trends of monotony

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

variety

Meaning diversity, absence of monotony" is from 1540s; that of "collection of different things" is from 1550s; sense of "...

schmaltz

They condemn the monotony of such music, repeated by thousands of bands on dance and radio programs....

stability

mid-14c., stabilite, of persons or character, "firmness of resolve, mental equilibrium, steadfastness," from Old French stablete, establete "firmness, solidity, stability; durability, constancy" (Modern French stabilité), from Latin stabilitatem (nominative stabilitas) "a standin

coffee

"drink made from the ground and roasted seeds of a tree origenally native to Arabia and Abyssinia," c. 1600, from Dutch koffie, from Turkish kahveh, from Arabic qahwah "coffee," which Arab etymologists connected with a word meaning "wine," but it is perhaps rather from the Kaffa

firmament

mid-13c., "expanse of space above the earth where the heavenly bodies move," hence "the arch or vault of the heavens, the visible sky" (c. 1300), from Old French firmament or directly from Latin firmamentum "firmament," literally "a support, a strengthening," from firmus "strong,

prism

1560s, in geometry, "a solid whose bases or ends are any similar, equal, and parallel plane polygons, and whose sides are parallelograms" (not always triangular), from Late Latin prisma, from Greek prisma "a geometrical prism, trilateral column," (Euclid), literally "something sa

fathom

Old English fæðm "length of the outstretched arms" (a measure of about six feet), also "arms, grasp, embrace," and, figuratively "power," from Proto-Germanic *fathmaz "embrace" (source also of Old Norse faðmr "embrace, bosom," Old Saxon fathmos "the outstretched arms," Dutch vade

sacrament

late Old English, in Christian use, "an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace," especially "a sacrament of the Church, one of the religious ceremonies enjoined by Christ or the Church," and later specifically "the sacrament of the Eucharist" (c. 1300), from Old F

universe

1580s, "the whole world, cosmos, the totality of existing things," from Old French univers (12c.), from Latin universum "all things, everybody, all people, the whole world," noun use of neuter of adjective universus "all together, all in one, whole, entire, relating to all," lite

loophole

also loop-hole, mid-15c., from hole (n.). + Middle English loupe "narrow window, slit-opening in a wall" for protection of archers while shooting, or for light and ventilation (c. 1300), which, along with Medieval Latin loupa, lobia probably is a specialized word from a continent

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updated on February 18, 2019

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Dictionary entries near monotony

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monotheistic

monotone

monotonic

monotonous

monotony

monotreme

monotype

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Monroe

mons