tóny

Tóny is the plural form of tón in Czech and Slovak, meaning tones or notes. In music, tón denotes the audible pitch of a sound, a discrete element of melody or harmony. A collection of tones forms scales and chords, and the tonal character of a piece depends on the choice and combination of tones and on timbre. While tón describes the heard pitch, written music uses notes (nota) to notate pitches; musicians realize the tones by producing the corresponding notes.

In everyday language, tón also appears in expressions about speaking: tón řeči or tón hlasu refers to the tone or attitude of speech, mood, or emphasis. Beyond sound, tóny is used to describe color or mood in art and photography: tóny barvy or tóny modré refer to color tones or hues; contrast and saturation contribute to the overall tonal balance.

In broader usage, tón can relate to the tonal characteristics of a language or to tonal systems in linguistics, where tones distinguish meaning. In such contexts, the plural tóny might be used when speaking of multiple tonal elements within a system or analysis.

Etymology: tón originates from a Latin tonus, via French ton and English tone, ultimately tracing to Greek tonos, meaning stretch or tension, a lineage that came to denote sound and pitch in modern Czech and Slovak.