lyric

the word 'lyric' originates from the greek 'lyrikos', meaning 'singing to the lyre'. this derives from 'lyra', the name of the ancient stringed instrument. in ancient greece, poetry was often performed with musical accompaniment, and 'lyrikos' specifically described poetry suited for the lyre, which was associated with personal, emotional expression as opposed to epic or dramatic forms. entering english via latin and french, the term retained its core association with personal, expressive song, eventually specializing to describe both a type of poetry and, in its plural form 'lyrics', the words of any song.

the word 'lyric' is a simplex loanword from french 'lyrique', which was borrowed from latin 'lyricus', itself from greek 'lyrikos'. it is not productively segmented into smaller morphemes in modern english spelling.