Dictionary

polyphony en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /pəˈlɪfəni/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πολυφωνία (poluphōnía); equivalent to poly- + -phony.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony).
2. (countable, uncountable) The quality of a text of being able to be read in more than one way.
   • the polyphony of a biblical passage

Forms

Deriveds

polyphonist · micropolyphony

Relateds

symphony · orchestration · heterophony · cacophony · polyphonal · polyphonic

Translations (42)

fi polyfonia (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ro polifonie (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sv polyfoni (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · he פוליפוניה (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sq vajtim (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ka პოლიფონია (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sq lashtërishtë (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · de Mehrstimmigkeit (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sq gjâmë (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · da polyfoni (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · pt polifonia (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · nl polyfonie (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · bg полифо́ния (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · az çoxsəslilik (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · de Polyphonie (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · fi moniäänisyys (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · fa چندصدایی (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sl polifonija (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · is fjölröddun (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ca polifonia (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ru полифони́я (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ka მრავალხმიანობა (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ko 다성음악 (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sq pleqërishte (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · hy պոլիֆոնիա (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · bg многогла́сие (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · es polifonía (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · cmn 複調 /复调 (quality of a text of being able to be read in more than one way) · fr polyphonie (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · be мнагагало́ссе (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · uk поліфоні́я (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · be поліфані́я (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · sq gjëmë (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ru многоголо́сие (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · be шматгало́ссе (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · el πολυφωνία (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · uk багатоголо́сся (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · ja ポリフォニー (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · cmn 複音 /复音 (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · pl polifonia (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · it polifonia (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices) · is pólýfónía (musical texture consisting of several independent melodic voices)