Consort & Concert

Having heard music by the Quadriga Consort, Francine asked about the possibility of a connection between the words concert and consort. It turns out that in a limited sense, there is. But first let’s distinguish between two nouns with identical spellings and some overlapping meanings.

Consort¹ came from the Latin consors, a partner or colleague. It moved through several meanings:

·      companion, mate, or colleague

·      a ship sailing in company with another

·      a husband or wife

·      the spouse of a king or queen (Prince-consort Albert)

·      mated animals

Consort² meant, variously, a fellowship or partnership, a society, and agreement or accord. There was a musical sense, which begins to answer Francine’s question. First of all, it meant harmonious voices or instruments. It evolved into a company of musicians. In our time, it refers to a company of musicians that specializes in Renaissance or Baroque music—so-called Early Music.

It is thought that the musical word consort arose as a mistake. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was an erroneous representation of the French concert and the Italian concerto. From the mid-1600s onward, the musical performance was spelled concert.

Word Parts Dictionary, Nook edition

Word Parts Dictionary, Kindle edition

Words to the Wise, Kindle Edition

Listen to Mike’s program in real time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com and clicking on Listen Now. You’ll also find about a month’s worth of podcasts there under The Ron Jolly Show.

Visit The Senior Corner, a web site containing information for senior citizens.