tónn

Tónn is an Icelandic noun that denotes tone, pitch, or the character of a sound, and by extension the mood or attitude of speech or a work of art. In musical contexts, tónn refers to a single pitch within a scale as well as to the overall tonal quality of music. The term can also describe the color or qualitative quality of a sound, though Icelandic music terminology often uses related compounds such as tónfræði (music theory) and tónlist for broader musical concepts.

Etymology and related terms: The word is descended from Old Norse tónn and is cognate with similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Danish tone, Swedish ton, and the English tone. This shared lineage reflects its broad applicability across music, speech, and descriptive language.

Usage in music and language: In musical discourse, tónn is used to denote a pitch or note within melodies and scales, and it appears in phrases within tónfræði and performance directions. In non-musical usage, tónn describes the tone or mood of a text, speech, or situation, as in descriptions of the tone of an argument or a speaker.

See also: tónfræði, tónlist, tone (cognate terms in related languages).