tonische

Tonische is a German adjective form built from tonisch, meaning related to tone or tonal center. The term appears in several specialized domains, most typically in music theory and linguistics, and it can function as an inflected form that modifies feminine nouns (for example, die tonische Betonung).

In music theory, tonisch relates to the tonic or tonality of a key. German terminology often uses Tonika to denote the tonic note or tonic chord, with tonisch describing features or functions connected to that tonic center. Phrases such as tonische Stufe refer to the first scale degree (the tonic degree), and tonische Funktion denotes the role of the tonic within a given key. In this sense, tonisch is part of a broader set of terms that describe how harmony and scale degrees establish and reinforce a tonal center.

In linguistics and prosody, tonisch appears in expressions like tonische Betonung and tonische Silbe, which describe the stressed syllable that carries the main prominence in a phrase. The term highlights the contrast between prominent (tonisch) and unstressed (atoneisch or unstressed) elements in spoken language.

Beyond language and music, tonisch-related usage can surface in general German descriptions of tone or vitality, where the associated noun forms are typically Tonik- or Tonika-based (for example, Tonika as the tonic in music). In English-language contexts, the equivalent concept is usually termed “tonic,” not tonische.