absolutt gehør

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

absolutt (“absolute”), from Latin absolūtus (“concluded, absolute”), perfect passive participle of absolvō (“complete, finish”), from both ab- (“from, off, away from”), from Latin ab (“from, away from, on, in”), from Proto-Italic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“off, away”) + and from solvō (“release, loosen, dissolve, take apart”), from both sē- (“apart-, aside-, away”), from Proto-Indo-European *s(w)ēd, the ablative singular of *s(w)é (“self”) + and from luō (“I untie, set free, separate”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”).

Last part from German Gehör (“hearing; attention”), from Middle High German gehœre, from Old High German *gihōra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /absʊˈlʉt ɡɛˈhøːr/, /apsʊˈlʉt ɡɛˈhøːr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -øːr
• Hyphenation: ab‧so‧lutt‧ge‧hør

Noun

absolutt gehør n (definite singular absolutte gehøret, indefinite plural absolutte gehør, definite plural absolutte gehøra or absolutte gehørene)

1. (music) perfect pitch (the ability to identify a note by name on hearing it, or to sing a specific note from memory, without the benefit of a reference pitch)

   Antonym: relativt gehør

   • 1944, Børre Qvamme, Musikk, page 10:

     såkalt «absolutt gehør» er ikke noe annet enn en god hukommelse

     so-called "perfect pitch" is nothing but a good memory

   • 1987, Morten Jørgensen, Sennepslegionen, page 62:

     han hadde fått én gudegave. Noen ganger mistenkte jeg Alex for å ha absolutt gehør

     he had received one gift from God. Sometimes I suspected Alex of having perfect pitch

   • 1997, Torgrim Eggen, Den nye Dylan, page 70:

     Sverre hadde ikke absolutt gehør og hadde heller aldri truffet noen som hadde det

     Sverre had no perfect pitch and had never met anyone who had it

Related terms

• tonedøvhet (“tone-deafness”)

References

• “absolutt gehør” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “gehør” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “absolutt gehør” in Store norske leksikon