View source for Monotone

==English==
{{was wotd|2007|September|12}}

===Etymology===
From the post-Classical {{der|en|la|monotonus||unvarying in tone}} or its etymon the {{der|en|grc|-}} {{m|el|μονότονος||steady”, “unwavering}}; compare cognate adjectives, namely the {{cog|fr|monotone}}, the {{cog|de|monoton}}, the {{cog|it|monotono}}, and the {{cog|es|monótono}}, as well as the slightly earlier English noun {{m|en|monotony}} and adjective {{m|en|monotonical}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|en|/ˈmɒn.ə.təʊn/|a=UK}}
** {{audio|en|En-uk-monotone.ogg|a=UK}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˈmɑː.nə.toʊn/|a=US}}
** {{audio|en|En-us-monotone.ogg|a=US}}
* {{audio|en|en-au-monotone.ogg|a=AU}}

===Adjective===
{{en-adj}}

# {{lb|en|of speech or a sound}} Having a single [[unvaried]] [[pitch]].
#* '''1940''', Asiatic Society (Calcutta, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, India), ''Journal of the Asiatic Society'', page 95:
#*: The prominence of the syllables is more '''monotone''' than in English, the intonation of the latter having a larger variation of stressed and unstressed syllables.
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1998|author=Roger W. Shuy|chapter=Bureaucratic Language in Government and Business|publisher=Georgetown University Press|title=Research on Telephone vs. In-Person Administrative Hearings|page=76
|passage=In the formal register, such variation is reduced and the talk has a more '''monotone''', business-like quality.}}
# {{lb|en|mathematics}} Being, or having the salient properties of, a [[monotone function]].
#: {{usex|en|The function <math>f(x):=x^3</math> is '''monotone''' on <math>\R</math>, while <math>g(x):=x^2</math> is not.}}
# {{lb|en|printing}} {{syn of|en|monochrome}}.
#: {{cot|en|duotone|tritone|quadtone|;|multitone}}

====Derived terms====
* {{l|en|pseudomonotone}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|having a single pitch}}
* Bulgarian: {{t|bg|еднозвучен}}
* Catalan: {{t+|ca|monòton}}
* Czech: {{t|cs|jednotvárnost jeho hlasu}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|monotoninen}}
* German: {{t|de|monton}}
* Italian: {{t|it|monotonale}}
* Maori: {{t|mi|hātahi}}
* Portuguese: {{t+|pt|monótono}}, {{t|pt|monotónico}} {{qualifier|Portugal}}, {{t|pt|monotônico}} {{qualifier|Brazil}}
* Romanian: {{t+|ro|monoton}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|моното́нный}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|monótono}}
* Swedish: {{t+|sv|monoton}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Noun===
{{en-noun|~}}

# A single [[unvaried]] [[tone]] of speech or a sound.
#: {{usex|en|When Tima felt like her parents were treating her like a servant, she would speak in '''monotone''' and act as though she were a robot.}}
#* '''1799''', John Walker, ''Elements of Elocution'', Cooper and Wilson, page 309:
#*: It is no very difficult matter to be loud in a high tone of voice; but to be loud and forcible in a low tone, requires great practice and management; this, however, may be facilitated by pronouncing forcibly at firſt in a low '''monotone'''; a '''monotone''', though in a low key, and without force, is much more ſonorous and audible than when the voice ſlides up and down at almoſt every word, as it muſt do to be various.
#* {{quote-journal|en|author=[[w:Alfred Billings Street|Alfred B[illings] Street]]|title=A Day’s Hunting about the Mongaup|editor=[[w:George Rex Graham|George R[ex] Graham]]|magazine=[[w:Graham's Magazine|Graham’s American Monthly Magazine of Literature and Art]]|location=Philadelphia, Pa.|publisher=George R. Graham & Co.,{{nb...|98 Chestnut Street}}|month=October|year=1846|volume=XXIX|issue=4|page=190|pageurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=lOmf2vSWTQYC&pg=RA1-PA190|oclc=1017756595|passage=There is a water-break formed by a small terrace of rock in mid-stream, and purling with a hollow, delicious '''monotone'''—an island of pebbles is above, with here and there smaller ones near the "forks."}}
# A piece of [[writing]] in one strain throughout.

====Derived terms====
* {{l|en|monotone convergence theorem}}
* {{l|en|monotonic}}
* {{l|en|monotonous}}
* {{l|en|monotony}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|A single tone in speech or sound}}
* Maori: {{t|mi|hātahi}}, {{t|mi|reo pūkawa}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Verb===
{{en-verb}}

# {{lb|en|ambitransitive}} To speak in a monotone.

==Esperanto==

===Etymology===
{{suffix|eo|monotona|e}}

===Pronunciation===
{{eo-IPA}}

===Adverb===
{{eo-head}}

# [[monotonously]]
# in [[monotone]]

==French==

===Etymology===
From {{der|fr|LL.|monotonus}}, from {{der|fr|grc|μονότονος}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{fr-IPA}}
* {{audio|fr|Fr-monotone.ogg}}

===Adjective===
{{fr-adj}}

# {{l|en|monotone}}
# whose [[speech]] is monotone
# [[boring]] due to [[uniformity]] or lack of [[variety]]; [[monotonous]]

===Further reading===
* {{R:fr:TLFi}}

==German==

===Pronunciation===
* {{audio|de|De-monotone.ogg}}

===Adjective===
{{head|de|adjective form}}

# {{de-adj form of|monoton}}

==Italian==

===Adjective===
{{head|it|adjective form}}

# {{feminine plural of|it|monotono}}

==Norwegian Bokmål==

===Adjective===
{{head|nb|adjective form}}

# {{infl of|nb|monoton||def|s}}
# {{plural of|nb|monoton}}

==Norwegian Nynorsk==

===Adjective===
{{head|nn|adjective form}}

# {{infl of|nn|monoton||def|s}}
# {{plural of|nn|monoton}}