rhapsody
UK[ˈræpsədi]US[ˈræpsədi]
n
A piece of music that is full of feeling and is not regular in form.
n
An expression of great enthusiasm, happiness, or other strong feeling in speech or writing.
Morpheme Breakdown
rhaps
ody
rhaps
stitch, song
ody
song, ode
Etymology
The word 'rhapsody' originates from the ancient Greek 'rhapsōidia', a compound of 'rhaptein' (to stitch) and 'ōidē' (song). This term literally described an epic poem, like those of Homer, which was "stitched together" from various episodes or composed in parts. In ancient Greece, a rhapsode was a performer who recited such stitched-together epic poetry. Over time, the meaning evolved from a specific type of narrative poem to any literary or musical work characterized by an irregular, improvisational form and an expression of exalted emotion, mirroring the free-flowing, assembled nature of its original form.
Analysis
Structure: rhaps (stitch, song) + ody (song, ode)
- rhaps: From Greek 'rhaptein' (to stitch, sew). In this compound, it refers to a stitched-together song.
- ody: From Greek 'ōidē' (song, ode). It denotes the concept of a song or lyrical piece.
Examples
The concert concluded with a passionate performance of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.
She went into a rhapsody about the beauty of the sunset over the mountains.
The jazz musician's solo was a brilliant, improvised rhapsody.