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Which composer wrote the famous "da da da DUM" motif in his Symphony No. 5?

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motif

American  

[moh-teef] / moʊˈtif /

noun

• motifs
  plural

1. a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.

2. a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.

3. a dominant idea or feature.

   Pulmonary problems were a grim motif in his life.

4. Biochemistry. a distinct pattern of amino acids in a function-specific protein sequence.

   No polyproline motif has been observed in these yeast proteins.

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motif British  

/ məʊˈtiːf /

noun

1. a distinctive idea, esp a theme elaborated on in a piece of music, literature, etc

2. Also: motive. a recurring form or shape in a design or pattern

3. a single added piece of decoration, such as a symbol or name on a jumper, sweatshirt, etc

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motif Cultural  

1. In literature, art, or music, a recurring set of words, shapes, colors, or notes. In the poem “The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe, for example, the word nevermore is a motif appearing at the end of each stanza. Likewise, the first four notes of the Fifth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven are a motif that is developed and reshaped throughout the work.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• motifs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of motif

First recorded in 1840–50; from French; see origin at motive

Explanation

The race car decor in your room, the refrain of a song, the idea or object that keeps popping up in a story — these are all motifs, reoccurring elements that move throughout and shape music, art and novels. This French import is related to the Latin verb movere which means "to move." Think about a pattern or design that moves throughout something when you hear motif. Have you ever been to a restaurant with a tropical or Wild West motif? Do you like dresses with a floral motif? In novels, a motif can be a recurring idea like revenge or an object that symbolizes an idea. A character might notice shadows throughout a story which symbolize his dark past.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

motif motifs

That’s also why, when “Fjord” opens with soft piano chords playing “Amazing Grace,” it’s safe to assume the song will be an integral motif throughout the film.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Jordan’s mural utilizes the flush mount dome in the center of the dining room ceiling as an Art Deco-inspired star motif, with painted white points extending from it for emphasis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The Tractor Boys' new home kit takes inspiration from the Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey stands at Portman Road, with a motif copying the one that runs across the roof of the stadium.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

This island becomes a recurring motif, to enchanting effect, as the film goes on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

These themes are often complete melodies with many phrases, but a single phrase can be taken from the melody and used as a motif.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Yes, you’re getting a glorified ad for a tech company, but this wasn’t going to have the uncanny-valley, human-repelling motifs so common in all the other infomercials for A.I. products.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

Webb eschews the Wagnerian method of film scoring—dark motifs for the evil characters, bright tunes for the good ones—in favor of fluid, shifting psychological music, a forerunner of Hitchcock’s scores with Bernard Herrmann.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

"She formulated a philosophy of art she dubbed 'self-obliteration' based on simple motifs of obsessive repetition and proliferation," according to her website.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

More elaborate designs, including hatched bands, grids, and diamond-shaped motifs, also showed evidence of rotation, translation, repetition, and "embedding," i.e., the ability to build hierarchical levels of signs within the same surface.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Most figures and motifs are shorter than phrases, but some of the leitmotifs of Wagner's operas are long enough to be considered phrases.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• concept
• logo
• pattern