The Latin/scholarly term for discant; the uppermost melodic voice in medieval polyphonic music.
Medieval Latin formation from 'dis-' (apart, separate) plus 'cantus' (song). This Latinized form was used in music theory and church documents.
'Discantus' appears in medieval church manuscripts written in Latin, showing how music terminology was so specialized it required Latin—this word literally means 'song sung apart' and describes the birth of Western harmony.
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