A threnody's a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. Terms Synonyms include "dirge," "coronach," "lament," and "elegy." The term originates from the Greek word threnoidia, from threnos (a "lament") + oide ("song"); ultimately, from the Proto-Indo-European root wed- ("to speak") that's also the precursor of such words as "ode," "tragedy," "comedy," "parody," "melody" and "rhapsody." History Examples of threnodies include Krzysztof Penderecki's Threnody t… (More on Threnody)