CANTUS FIRMUS


Meaning of CANTUS FIRMUS in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ -ˈfir-məs, -ˈfər- ]

noun

Etymology: Medieval Latin, literally, fixed song

Date: 1847

1. : the plainsong or simple Gregorian melody originally sung in unison and prescribed as to form and use by ecclesiastical tradition

2. : a melodic theme or subject ; especially : one for contrapuntal treatment

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.