From Greek diatonikos 'proceeding through tones,' from dia- 'through' + tonos 'tone,' for the standard seven-note scale.
Relating to a musical scale consisting of five whole tones and two semitones, such as the major or natural minor scale.
From Greek diatonikos, from diatonos 'at intervals of a tone,' from dia- 'through' + tonos 'tone, stretch.' The term distinguished this scale from the chromatic (using semitones) and enharmonic (using quarter tones) genera in ancient Greek music theory. Key roots: *ten- (Proto-Indo-European: "to stretch").