Motív

Motív is a term used in several languages to denote motif: a recurring element, image, or pattern that helps unify and give meaning to a work or system. The word appears in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and other languages with diacritical marks such as motív. Its etymology traces to the French motif, from Latin motivus meaning moving or arousing, reflecting the idea of something that moves the work forward.

In music, a motif is a short musical idea, usually two to eight notes, that recurs, develops, and helps unify a composition. It may be melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic, and is distinct from a longer theme or subject. In literature and film, a motif is a recurring element—an image, symbol, phrase, or situation—that reinforces a work's themes and motifs.

In visual arts and design, a motif refers to a decorative element or pattern that repeats to form a larger composition, such as a floral motif on fabric or a geometric motif in architecture. The term is also used in science and information technology to describe recurring patterns: in biology, motifs are short, conserved sequences or structural elements; in computer science, motifs can denote recurring design patterns or templates in software and data.

See also: leitmotif, motif (pattern).