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to·nal·i·ty

(tō-nălĭ-tē)

n. pl. to·nal·i·ties

1. Music

a. A system or arrangement of seven tones built on a tonic key.

b. The arrangement of all the tones and chords of a composition in relation to a tonic.

2. The scheme or interrelation of the tones in a painting.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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