organum

[awr-guh-nuhm]

noun

plural

organa, organums 

1. an organon.

2. Music.

   1. the doubling, or simultaneous singing, of a melody at an interval of either a fourth, a fifth, or an octave.

   2. the second part in such singing.

organum

/ ˈɔːɡənəm /

noun

1. a form of polyphonic music originating in the ninth century, consisting of a plainsong melody with parts added at the fourth and fifth

2. a variant of organon

Word History and Origins

Origin of organum¹

From Latin, dating back to 1605–15; organ

Word History and Origins

Origin of organum¹

C17: via Latin from Greek; see _organ

Example Sentences

Bacon never uses the word in its modern meaning in English in print, and he uses factum three or perhaps four times in print, but the crucial text, the Novum organum of 1620, was not translated into English in time to have any influence.

Read more on Literature

The trailblazer of this group was called Leonin, and by the standards of the early twelfth century he was both prolific and admired, regularly combining plainsong chant melodies with a second voice, a technique now known as organum duplum.

Read more on Literature

Organum became very popular across Europe - and, dare I say it, formulaic to the point of tedium.

Read more on Literature

But the heady excitement of turning one tune into two at no extra cost had another spin-off: organum where one voice stood still instead.

Read more on Literature

If we imagine parallel organum as a train track winding across the landscape, the drone style looked more like a graph in which one line moves and the other stays constant.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• arrangement 
• chord 
• composition 
• melody 
• tune 
• unity