songbook
UK[ˈsɒŋbʊk]US[ˈsɔːŋbʊk]
n
a book containing a collection of songs, often with their musical notation.
n
a collection of songs associated with a particular performer, composer, or genre.
Morpheme Breakdown
song
book
song
book
Etymology
the word 'songbook' is a transparent english compound, formed by directly combining two native germanic elements. the first element, 'song', descends from proto-germanic sangwaz, itself from the proto-indo-european root sengwh-, meaning "to sing" or "incantation." the second element, 'book', traces to proto-germanic bōks, originally referring to a beechwood tablet used for writing, from pie bhāgo-. the compound logically emerged to describe a physical volume dedicated to preserving song lyrics and melodies. its meaning has expanded metaphorically to denote the characteristic repertoire of a musical artist, maintaining the core concept of a defined collection centered on song.
Analysis
Structure: song + book
song: from old english 'sang', meaning a vocal composition. functional role: root, denoting the subject matter.
book: from old english 'bōc', meaning a written document or volume. functional role: root, denoting the container or format.
Examples
she pulled out an old folk songbook and began to play a melody.
the beatles' songbook is filled with timeless classics.
the choir director handed out new songbooks for the holiday concert.