clef

English

Wikipedia

The G-clef

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin clāvis (“a key”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛf

Noun

clef (plural clefs)

1. A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches indicated by the lines on the staff

Derived terms

• alto clef
• bass clef
• C clef
• F clef
• G clef
• tenor clef
• treble clef

Related terms

• clave

Translations

musical symbol

• Afrikaans: sleutel (af)
• Albanian: çelës (sq)
• Bulgarian: ключ (bg) m (ključ)
• Catalan: clau (ca)
• Czech: klíč (cs) m
• Danish: nøgle (da)
• Dutch: sleutel (nl)
• Finnish: nuottiavain (fi)
• French: clé (fr) f
• German: Schlüssel (de)
• Greek: κλειδί (el) (klidí) 
• Hungarian: kulcs (hu)
• Indonesian: kunci musik (id)
• Irish: eochair (ga)
• Italian: chiave (it) f

• Japanese: 音部記号 (ja) (onbu kigō)
• Korean: 음자리표 (ko) (eumjaripyo)
• Latin: clavis (la) f
• Mandarin: 谱号 (cmn) (pǔhào)
• Norwegian: nøkkel (no)
• Polish: klucz (pl) m
• Portuguese: clave (pt) f
• Russian: ключ (ru) (kl'uč) m 
• Scottish Gaelic: iuchair (gd) f
• Spanish: clave (es) f
• Swedish: klav (sv)
• Tagalog: klep (tl)
• Turkish: nota anahtarı (tr)
• Vietnamese: khóa của âm nhạc (vi)
• Volapük: kiküf (vo)

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French

Alternative forms

• clé

Etymology

Old French, see below

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kle/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -e
• Homophones: clé, clefs, clés

Noun

clef f (plural clefs)

1. key
2. (music) clef

Derived terms

• fermer à clef

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Middle French

Noun

clef f (plural clefs)

1. key

Adjective

clef m and f (invariable)

1. key (vitally important)

Descendants

• French: clef, clé

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Old French

Etymology

Latin clāvis (“a key”).

Noun

clef f (oblique plural clés, nominative singular clef, nominative plural clés)

1. key

Descendants

• French: clef, clé
• Gallo: tié
• Jèrriais: clié