dithyramb

Meaning

Noun

• A choral hymn sung in ancient Athens in honor of the god Dionysus.
• A poem or oration in the same style.
• An impassioned speech, a rant.

Origin

• From Latin dithyrambus, from Ancient Greek δῑθύραμβος. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it is of non-Indo-European origin (Pre-Greek ), related to θρίαμβος and ἴαμβος. Brandenstein also compares Sanskrit अङ्ग ("member").