dulcet

Some of the most dulcet tones in American folk music are said to come from the dulcimer, a fretted stringed instrument traditionally played on the lap and integral to the work of such sweet-voiced musicians and song collectors as Jean Ritchie, Loraine Wyman, and Margaret MacArthur. The essence of dulcet, after all, is sweetness; the word has been in use in English since the 1400s describing not only desserts and other confections that are pleasing for their literal sweetness, but figuratively sweet things such as smiles and even balmy weather. Dulcet is today used most often, however, to describe sounds, including melodies, voices, and especially tones with a notably honeyed quality. Fittingly, dulcet comes from the Latin word for “sweet,” dulcis, an ancestor of many musical English words, including the musical direction dolce (“to be played sweetly”), Dulciana (a type of pipe organ stop), dolcian (a small bassoon-like instrument), and, of course, dulcimer.