Did Shakespeare know Greek? -- Appetite came from (Greek) Piptein

[HenHanna]

one fav. line (form Shakespeare) is :

DUKE ORSINO
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:

Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

Did Shakespeare know Greek?

how about the poss. that he was toying with the idea
that Appetite came from (Greek) Piptein

which it did... meaning Rushing, Falling, River, etc.

[LionelEdwards]

Post by HenHanna
DUKE ORSINO
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with
sweet discord and all that.

[LionelEdwards]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by HenHanna
DUKE ORSINO
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with
sweet discord and all that.

If PTD were here (or was here) he'd find a great example
from JS Bach, but he isn't so it falls to me to find some
sweet discord. Hank Williams:

[JNugent]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by HenHanna
DUKE ORSINO
             If music be the food of love, play on;
             Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
             The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with
sweet discord and all that.

If PTD were here (or was here) he'd find a great example
from JS Bach, but he isn't so it falls to me to find some
http://youtu.be/_V-JRWmuRec

FWIW, I too supposed that "appetite" sounded looked vaguely Ancient Greek.

I checked it out on Copilot and was surprised:

Q: What are the linguistic origins of the English word "appetite"?

A: Sent by Copilot:

The word “appetite” has an interesting linguistic history. It originates
from the Latin word appetitus, which means “longing” or “desire.” This
Latin term comes from the verb appetere, meaning “to strive after” or
“to long for,” which is a combination of ad (“to”) and petere (“to seek”).

In the 13th century, the word made its way into Old French as apetit and
later into Anglo-French as appetit. By around 1300, it entered Middle
English as appetit, retaining its meaning related to a craving or
desire, particularly for food.

Isn’t it fascinating how words evolve over time?


1 <www.etymonline.com>
2 <en.wiktionary.org>
3 <academic.oup.com>

[Ross Clark]

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by HenHanna
DUKE ORSINO
             If music be the food of love, play on;
             Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
             The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with
sweet discord and all that.

The "fall" (ending) is called in more technical musical terminology a
"cadence", ultimately from Latin cadere 'to fall'.

[HenHanna]

Post by Ross Clark

Post by LionelEdwards

Post by HenHanna
DUKE ORSINO
             If music be the food of love, play on;
             Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
             The appetite may sicken, and so die.
Appetite (has a FALL in it) ???

The strain (the music) falls off towards the end with
sweet discord and all that.

The "fall" (ending) is called in more technical musical terminology a
"cadence", ultimately from Latin cadere 'to fall'.

A dying fall in music refers to a phrase or passage that gradually
diminishes in volume, intensity, or emotional impact. It's often
characterized by a slow, descending melody or a subtle fading of sound.
This technique can create a sense of melancholy, longing, or resolution
at the end of a piece.

The term is derived from Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," where the
character Ophelia sings a song that includes the line "And I had rather
hear a senseless sound than a sweet note that speaks so loud of a dying
fall." This line implies a preference for a simple, mournful sound over
a complex one that evokes strong emotions.

In music, a dying fall can be achieved through various means, such as:

Diminuendo: Gradually decreasing the volume of the music.
Rubato: Playing with a flexible tempo, slowing down towards the end.
Pedal tones: Sustaining a long note while playing other harmonies above it.
Harmonics: Playing soft, ethereal sounds by lightly touching the strings
of an instrument.