{"id":4370,"date":"2026-03-07T18:41:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T18:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=4370"},"modified":"2026-03-07T18:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T18:41:35","slug":"adventures-in-etymology-harmonious-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=4370","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Etymology &#8211; Harmonious Reason"},"content":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Harmonious Reason\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2026-03-07T18:41:34+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M53S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Are the words harmony and reason connected? Let's find out in this Adventure in Etymology.\n\n\n\nMeanings of harmony [\u02c8h\u0251\u02d0.m\u0259.ni] include:\n\n Agreement or accord.\n A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.\n Two or more notes played si...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.9\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_1150\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4370-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=4370-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"harmoniousreason.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>Are the words <strong>harmony<\/strong> and <strong>reason<\/strong> connected? Let&#8217;s find out in this Adventure in Etymology.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/omniglot\/48115890787\/in\/album-72157671265431635\" title=\"Singing in Pontio \/ Canu ym Mhontio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/48115890787_23a71090d5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" alt=\"Singing in Pontio \/ Canu ym Mhontio\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanings of <strong>harmony<\/strong> [\u02c8h\u0251\u02d0.m\u0259.ni] include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Agreement or accord.<\/li>\n<li>A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.<\/li>\n<li>Two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It comes from Middle English <em>armonie<\/em> (harmonious sounds, song, music, harmony), from Old French <em>(h)armonie<\/em> (harmony, musical instrument), from Latin <em>harmonia<\/em> (harmony, music, peace), from Ancient Greek <em>\u1f01\u03c1\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03af\u03b1<\/em> (harmon\u00eda &#8211; joint, union, agreement, concord of sounds), from or related to <em>\u1f01\u03c1\u03bc\u03cc\u03b6\u03c9<\/em> (harm\u00f3z\u014d &#8211; I fit together), from PIE <em>*h\u2082er-<\/em> (to join, fit, fix together) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/harmony#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Meanings of <strong>reason<\/strong> [\u02c8\u0279i\u02d0.z\u0259n] include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A cause.<\/li>\n<li>A motive for an action or a determination.<\/li>\n<li>Rational thinking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It comes from Middle English <em>reso(u)n<\/em> (reason), from Anglo-Norman <em>raisun<\/em> (logic, logical reasoning), from Latin <em>rati\u014d<\/em> (reason, calculation, procedure), from <em>reor<\/em> (to reckon, calculate, think), from Proto-Italic <em>r\u0113\u014dr<\/em> (to reckon, calculate, think), from PIE <em>*h\u2082reh\u2081-<\/em> (to think, reason, arrange), from <em>*h\u2082er-<\/em> (to join, fit, fix together) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/reason#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Other words from the same roots possibly include <strong>arachnid<\/strong>, <strong>art<\/strong>, <strong>ordinary<\/strong>, <strong>ornament<\/strong>,  <strong>ratio<\/strong> and <strong>read<\/strong> in English, <strong>Rede<\/strong> (stream, current, flow) in German, <strong>ara\u00f1a<\/strong> (spider, chandelier) in Spanish, <strong>arment<\/strong> (herd of cattle or horses) in Catalan, <strong>\u0433\u0430\u0440\u043c\u043e\u043d\u0438\u044f<\/strong> [\u0261\u0250r\u02c8mon\u02b2\u026aj\u0259] (harmony) in Russian  [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%82er-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>One word for <strong>harmony<\/strong> (and melody) in Old English was <em>swinsung<\/em>, which came from <em>swinsian<\/em> (to sing) from Proto-West Germanic <em>*swinis\u014dn<\/em>, from Proto-Germanic <em>*swinis\u014dn\u0105<\/em>, from Proto-Germanic <em>*swin-<\/em> (to sound), from PIE <em>*swenh\u2082-<\/em> (to sound) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/swinsung\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same roots  include <strong>assonance<\/strong>, <strong>sonata<\/strong>, <strong>sonnet<\/strong>, <strong>sound<\/strong> and <strong>swan<\/strong> in English, <strong>seinn<\/strong> (to play [an instrument], sing, warble, chatter) in Irish, <strong>honni<\/strong> (to claim, assert) in Welsh, and <strong>dzon<\/strong> (bell) in Polish [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/h%E2%82%82er-\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/uk\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd=_flow&amp;SESSION=aLjPfXL-vP_1gQ_U23Iz8_hSWLlhzLHPMFZrt32dIEfG8htoNFLYaPoWkv8&amp;dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8def8934b92a630e40b7fef61ab7e9fe63\">PayPal<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/omniglot\">Patreon<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/donations.htm\">contribute to Omniglot in other ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with <a href=\"https:\/\/blubrry.com\/services\/podcast-hosting\/?code=omniglot\">Blubrry Podcast Hosting<\/a>, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code <strong>omniglot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/\">Omniglot Blog<\/a>, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/\">Celtiadur<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n   crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n   style=\"display:block\"\n   data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n   data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n   data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n   data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Harmonious Reason\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2026-03-07T18:41:34+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M53S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Are the words harmony and reason connected? Let's find out in this Adventure in Etymology.\n\n\n\nMeanings of harmony [\u02c8h\u0251\u02d0.m\u0259.ni] include:\n\n Agreement or accord.\n A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds.\n Two or more notes played si...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.9\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_1151\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4370-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=4370-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/harmoniousreason.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"harmoniousreason.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>Are the words harmony and reason connected? Let&#8217;s find out in this Adventure in Etymology. Meanings of harmony [\u02c8h\u0251\u02d0.m\u0259.ni] include: Agreement or accord. A pleasing combination of elements, or arrangement of sounds. Two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord. It comes from Middle English armonie (harmonious sounds, song, music, harmony), from Old [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,97,124,115,20,56,24,6,4,50,58,55,109,1,63,57,59,133,119,28,7],"tags":[90,393,392,9,167,15,88,8,394,103],"class_list":["post-4370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventures-in-etymology","category-ancient-greek-","category-anglo-norman-norman","category-catalan-catala","category-english","category-etymology","category-german","category-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-middle-english","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-old-french-franceis","category-podcast","category-polish-polski","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-italic","category-proto-west-germanic","category-spanish","category-welsh","tag-etymology","tag-harmonious","tag-harmony","tag-language","tag-linguistics","tag-music","tag-omniglot","tag-podcast","tag-reason","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4370"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4371,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4370\/revisions\/4371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}