lyrical
UK[ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl]US[ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl]
adj
expressing personal thoughts and feelings in a beautiful way
adj
having the qualities of song or poetry; enthusiastically expressive
Morpheme Breakdown
lyric
al
lyric
song
al
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'lyrical' traces its lineage to ancient greek culture, where 'lyra' referred to a stringed instrument, the lyre. poetry that was sung to the accompaniment of the lyre was termed 'lyrikos', meaning 'for the lyre'. this passed into latin as 'lyricus' and into english, where 'lyric' came to denote poetry expressing the poet's personal emotions. the suffix '-al' was added to form the adjective, shifting the meaning from the instrument itself to the expressive, song-like quality of the thoughts and language, thus connecting the ancient mode of musical performance to modern abstract expressions of deep feeling.
Analysis
Structure: lyric (song) + al (adjective suffix)
lyric (from greek 'lyrikos', via latin 'lyricus', pertaining to the lyre); al (latin adjectival suffix '-alis', meaning 'of, relating to')
Examples
her description of the landscape was beautifully lyrical.
he became lyrical when speaking about his favorite composer.
the novel's prose shifts from factual reporting to lyrical reflection.