Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: Semantics  (Read 4925 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Graham Spencer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3538
  • MAD as a wet Hohner........
Re: Semantics
« Reply #20 on: December 29, 2017, 08:01:52 PM »


AKA-harmonica over here but that's another thread (:)


Of course, button accordions are frequently referred to as "harmonikas" in mainland Europe. In practice, I usually refer to my instrument simply as a "box"; but then in some circles "box" means "guitar".......

Graham
Logged
Among others, Saltarelle Pastourelle II D/G; Hohner 4-stop 1-rows in C & G; assorted Hohners; 3-voice German (?) G/C of uncertain parentage; lovely little Hlavacek 1-row Heligonka; B♭/E♭ Koch. Newly acquired G/C Hohner Viktoria. Also Fender Jazz bass, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Epiphone Sheraton, Charvel-Jackson 00-style acoustic guitar, Danelectro 12-string and other stuff..........

Squeezing in the Cyprus sunshine

brianread

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1008
    • Slow and Steady Session in West Lancashire/Greater Manchester; Dance club in Rainford
Re: Semantics
« Reply #21 on: December 29, 2017, 10:13:08 PM »

Do you mean a "harp", Brian. That's what they seem to be called hereabouts, but I don't know why. (Sorry about any thread drift.)

I guess I do - but I've never used that word (I played one from about 10 years onwards).
Logged
Brian Read
D/G Oakwood (new model), D/G, C /F, Bb/Eb and E/A Liliputs,
A STREB!!,
2.5 D/G Self made Emmanuel Pariselle, D/G Pokerwork,
and Wolverton Advanced G/D Anglo Concertina and C/G  1937 Wheatstone.
all played "lefty" with mostly an extra air button, except the Concertinas which I play the conventional way round.

AirTime

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 979
Re: Semantics
« Reply #22 on: December 29, 2017, 10:37:35 PM »

I will generally describe my boxes as "button accordions", or "diatonic button accordions". Sometimes, with an interested (or unlucky) listener, leading to a lengthy explanation of the history of the various kinds of accordions. "Squeezebox" also seems an acceptable, colloquial description. 

The reality is, I don't want to be seen as an "accordion" player, which makes people inevitably picture a piano accordion, which I feel is an instrument very different in spirit from a diatonic button accordion. "Melodeon" means nothing to people in NA & would just confuse them. Regardless, most people I meet in NA assume that I will be playing some kind of polka music. I assume this is not the case in the UK.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2017, 03:18:03 AM by AirTime »
Logged
1920's BbEb Hohner; 1920's  AD Koch; 1910 (?) One-row Hohner in D,  1910's GCB Maga Ercole; ; AD 1950's Pistelli, CF Sandpiper, CF Preciosa, BbEb Preciosa.

triskel

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3290
Re: Semantics
« Reply #23 on: December 30, 2017, 02:08:51 AM »


AKA-harmonica over here but that's another thread (:)

Of course, button accordions are frequently referred to as "harmonikas" in mainland Europe.

In German (and some other languages) both accordions and mouth organs are varieties of Harmonika, so you've the Handharmonika (hand harmonica) = accordion, melodeon and concertina, and the Mundharmonika (mouth harmonica) = mouth organ/harmonica/"harp".

boxcall

  • You got to love it!!!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1754
  • Accordion to who?
Re: Semantics
« Reply #24 on: December 30, 2017, 02:29:11 AM »

My barber who is Italian calls an accordion a Fisarmonica and harmonica is a Armonica, so I guess the Fis must = hand--armonica.
not that much different from the german really.
Logged
Hohner 1040 C, Beltuna one row four stop D, O'Byrne Dewitt/ Baldoni bros. D/C#, Paolo soprani "pepperpot" one row D

Jesse Smith

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 726
  • Buffalo, NY, USA
Re: Semantics
« Reply #25 on: December 30, 2017, 04:33:53 AM »

The reality is, I don't want to be seen as an "accordion" player, which makes people inevitably picture a piano accordion, which I feel is an instrument very different in spirit from a diatonic button accordion. "Melodeon" means nothing to people in NA & would just confuse them. Regardless, most people I meet in NA assume that I will be playing some kind of polka music. I assume this is not the case in the UK.
Yes, it's very much the same here in Buffalo. We have a long tradition here (mostly a thing of the past now but still very much present in people's minds) of Polish polka bands, real "Roll Out the Barrel" kind of stuff. I'm sure that's the first thing that comes to mind around here when people hear "accordion".
Logged
Hohner Pokerwork D/G (x2!), Hohner one row four stops in D and C, Hohner Presswood C/F.

Steve_freereeder

  • Content Manager
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7511
  • MAD is inevitable. Keep Calm and Carry On
    • Lizzie Dripping
Re: Semantics
« Reply #26 on: December 30, 2017, 08:45:19 AM »

My barber who is Italian calls an accordion a Fisarmonica and harmonica is a Armonica, so I guess the Fis must = hand--armonica.
not that much different from the german really.
Not too good on Italian, but I guess the prefix 'fis' is related to 'fisico' = 'physical'; in other words a fisharmonica is one which requires physical action i.e. moving the bellows.
Logged
Steve
Sheffield, UK.
www.lizziedripping.org.uk

rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4734
  • Windjammer
    • Wesson Accordions
Re: Semantics
« Reply #27 on: December 30, 2017, 09:34:18 AM »

Correct Italian spelling of fisarmonica/armonica is fisarmoniche/armoniche. Pronounced fisarmonica/armonica not fisarmoneesh/armoneesh.

I often hear VA reeds, Voci Armoniche pronounced Voci Armoneesh (which I suppose it would be in French) :)
Logged
Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
Gungrog, Welshpool, Wales, UK
www.melodeons.com

Stiamh

  • Old grey C#/D pest
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 3538
    • Packie Manus Byrne
Re: Semantics
« Reply #28 on: December 30, 2017, 11:39:03 AM »

Correct Italian spelling of fisarmonica/armonica is fisarmoniche/armoniche

let me fix that for you: correct Italian spelling of the plural of fisarmonica/armonica is fisarmoniche/armoniche.

i.e. una fisarmonica, due fisarmoniche.

The "h" in the plural form is needed to keep the "c" hard before an "e" (which it naturally is when followed by an "a").

Sebastian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1056
Re: Semantics
« Reply #29 on: December 30, 2017, 12:13:52 PM »

My barber who is Italian calls an accordion a Fisarmonica and harmonica is a Armonica, so I guess the Fis must = hand--armonica.
not that much different from the german really.
Not too good on Italian, but I guess the prefix 'fis' is related to 'fisico' = 'physical'; in other words a fisharmonica is one which requires physical action i.e. moving the bellows.
Fisarmonica is the italian form of the german Physharmonika, an early (and now obsolete) name for a pump organ/melodeon.

The word Harmonika was than mainly used for the Glass harmonica. Because the sounds in a pump organ are generated by a bellows and not by glass cups, Anton Haeckel choose the name "bellows-harmonica" to differenciate his bellows-driven instrument from the normal [glass] harmonica. Bellows is φῦσα (physa) in Greek ('physein' is 'to blow'). If you combine this with "harmonica" you get -- according to Greek contraction rules -- "phys-harmonica".
« Last Edit: December 30, 2017, 12:22:31 PM by Sebastian »
Logged

rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4734
  • Windjammer
    • Wesson Accordions
Re: Semantics
« Reply #30 on: December 30, 2017, 01:09:32 PM »

Correct Italian spelling of fisarmonica/armonica is fisarmoniche/armoniche

let me fix that for you: correct Italian spelling of the plural of fisarmonica/armonica is fisarmoniche/armoniche.

i.e. una fisarmonica, due fisarmoniche.

The "h" in the plural form is needed to keep the "c" hard before an "e" (which it naturally is when followed by an "a").

Oops! Thanks Stephen.
Logged
Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
Gungrog, Welshpool, Wales, UK
www.melodeons.com

boxcall

  • You got to love it!!!
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1754
  • Accordion to who?
Re: Semantics
« Reply #31 on: December 30, 2017, 01:26:09 PM »

My barber who is Italian calls an accordion a Fisarmonica and harmonica is a Armonica, so I guess the Fis must = hand--armonica.
not that much different from the german really.
Not too good on Italian, but I guess the prefix 'fis' is related to 'fisico' = 'physical'; in other words a fisharmonica is one which requires physical action i.e. moving the bellows.
Fisarmonica is the italian form of the german Physharmonika, an early (and now obsolete) name for a pump organ/melodeon.

The word Harmonika was than mainly used for the Glass harmonica. Because the sounds in a pump organ are generated by a bellows and not by glass cups, Anton Haeckel choose the name "bellows-harmonica" to differenciate his bellows-driven instrument from the normal [glass] harmonica. Bellows is φῦσα (physa) in Greek ('physein' is 'to blow'). If you combine this with "harmonica" you get -- according to Greek contraction rules -- "phys-harmonica".
Interesting, thanks.
Logged
Hohner 1040 C, Beltuna one row four stop D, O'Byrne Dewitt/ Baldoni bros. D/C#, Paolo soprani "pepperpot" one row D

Rog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2295
  • Repair and tuning in Hants
Re: Semantics
« Reply #32 on: December 30, 2017, 04:53:27 PM »

Have to confess to avoiding use of the word melodeon unless I'm talking to someone who actually owns one or is obviously clued up as to what it is (...and on my website). It avoids the inevitable question 'what's a melodeon' and my answer 'an accordion with buttons'. To PA players or novices I call them button accordions, so it is clear what they are. Also I have a mixture of 4th apart and semitone boxes on my shelves, and I think of the semitone box as an accordion anyway. But that is just me and I may very well be misguided (:)

Sebastian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1056
Re: Semantics
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2017, 12:29:15 AM »

'physein' is 'to blow'.
Sorry, my mistake: 'physan' φυσᾶν should be the correct infinitive form. :|bl
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal