sonnet

Since we'll be talking about Shakespeare's sonnets throughout the semester, I thought I'd write the first entry about sonnet. I like this word because it contains a diminutive ending (-et), used to signal that something is small. Etymologically speaking, a sonnet is a "little song." We have another word in English that also etymologically means "little song"--canticle (the -cle is another diminutive). Despite their similar base meanings, the words are not used synonymously: canticle has religious connotations and is most often used for hymns.