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Origin and history of syncopate

syncopate(v.)

c. 1600, "shorten (words) by omitting one or more syllables or letters in the middle," a back-formation from syncopation, or else from Late Latin syncopatus, past participle of syncopare "to shorten," also "to faint away, swoon," from Late Latin syncope "a fainting away, swooning," also in the grammatical sense (see syncope).

The musical sense is from 1660s; in modern use, syncopated, in reference to rhythms, by 1908, originally in ragtime. An earlier verb was syncopate (early 15c. of words; by 1728 of music). To syncopize (late 15c.) was "to swoon." Related: Syncopating.

also from c. 1600

Entries linking to syncopate

syncopation(n.)

1530s, in grammar and prosody, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds," from Medieval Latin syncopationem (nominative syncopatio) "a shortening or contraction," from past-participle stem of syncopare "to shorten," also "to faint away, to swoon," from Late Latin syncope "a fainting away, swooning," also in the grammatical sense (see syncope).

Especially of a short vowel between two consonants. The musical sense, in reference to the inversion of rhythmic accent, is attested from 1590s.

syncope(n.)

1520s, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds or letters," from Latin syncope "contraction of a word by elision," from Greek synkopē "contraction of a word," literally "a cutting off, cutting up, cutting short," from synkoptein "to cut up." This is from syn- "together," here perhaps "thoroughly" (see syn-) + koptein "to cut." This verb is perhaps from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike, smite" (see hatchet (n.)). Beekes leaves open the possibility "the word might be from the Pre-Greek or European substrate."

The same word is older in pathology in the sense of "a fainting, loss of consciousness accompanied by a weak pulse," via Old French syncope "illness, fainting fit" and Latin syncope in its nongrammatical sense of "a fainting, swooning." Originally as Middle English sincopis, sincopin (c. 1400), via Medieval Latin sincopis, Late Latin accusative syncopen. The spelling of this was re-Latinized 16c.

The notion is a sudden "cutting off" of consciousness. Compare Greek kopos "a blow, a stroke" (related to the verb) and native stroke (n.1) "apoplectic seizure." Related: Syncoptic (1650s); syncopal (1680s); syncopic (1889).

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