Dictionary

ut en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ʌt/ (General-American)
• /ut/ (General-American)
• /ʊt/ (General-American)
• /ʌt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ʊt/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ut (“first degree or note of Guido of Arezzo's hexachordal scales”), Italian ut in the solmization of Guido of Arezzo, from the opening word Latin ut (“how”) in the lyrics of the scale-ascending hymn Ut queant laxis by Benedictine monk Paulus Deacon (8th c. CE).

Meanings

1. (dated) Syllable (formerly) used in solfège to represent the first note of a major scale.
   • Old Mantuam, old Mantuan. Who vnderſtandeth thee not, vt re ſol la mi fa: Vnder pardon sir, What are the contents? […] c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 132, column 1:
   • The French added si for the seventh, and the Italians changed ut to do. Modern music-books name the whole thirteen notes of the semi-tone scale, and expect the pupil to learn them all. 1875 February, The Ladies' Repository, volume 35, Cincinnati, page 189:

Forms

Relateds

gamut

Translations (2)

fr ut (first note of a major scale) · nl ut (first note of a major scale)

wikipedia: Ut queant laxis · wikipedia: Paul the Deacon · wikipedia: Guido of Arezzo