ophicleide

[prettygoodword]

Another Forgotten English word I couldn't resist.


ophicleide - "A barbarous name compounded of the Greek words for snake and door-key, which has been given to a [1790] improvement on the Russian bassoon." --Sir George Grove's Dictionary of Music, 1902


Which may not be as helpful as "A keyed brass instrument of the bugle family with a baritone range that was the structural precursor of the bass saxophone and was replaced by the tuba in orchestras" (as the American Heritage Dictionary puts it) but is more colorful. Grove's etymology is correct -- the snake part because it's bent double, as shown in Wikipedia's picture.

---L.

Comments

A barbarous name

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

There's something quite appealing about a dictionary that passes judgment on the words it defines :D

Re: A barbarous name

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Somewhere out there is a copy of Dr. Johnson's Dictionary with your name on it.

---L.