Word of the Day

: September 18, 2009

quodlibet

noun KWAHD-luh-bet

What It Means

1 : a philosophical or theological point proposed for disputation; also : a disputation on such a point

2 : a whimsical combination of familiar melodies or texts

quodlibet in Context

"'The Past & the Future' … is an operatic quodlibet, summarizing themes from previous movements, with some classical surprises." (Donald Rosenberg, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2007)

Did You Know?

"Whatever." Try to get philosophical nowadays and that may be the response you hear. We don't know if someone quibbling over a minor philosophical or theological point 500 years ago might have gotten a similar reaction, but we do know that Latin "quodlibet," meaning "any whatever," was the name given to such academic debates. "Quodlibet" is a form of "quilibet," from "qui," meaning "what," and "libet," meaning "it pleases." We can't say with certainty how "quodlibet" went from disputations to musical conglomerations, but English speakers have been using "quodlibet" for light musical mélanges since the early 19th century.