Other forms: hymns
A hymn is a song of praise sung in worship. Sing a hymn, a hymn book, the closing hymn.
The whole point is congregational singing, so the tunes are built to be sung by people who cannot read music — steady rhythm, short phrases, a narrow range. A hymn to something outside religion means a work of praise. Note the silent n at the end.
1nounhymnA song of praise sung in worship.
“The congregation stood up to sing the opening hymn.”
hymn is a song.
Greek hymnos means a song of praise. It came into English through Latin and Old French and kept the silent n from the Latin spelling.
Ancient Greek
ὕμνος
Latin
hymnus
Old French
ymne
Old English
ymen
Middle English
ymne
English, today
hymn
From Middle English ymne, from Old English ymen (reinforced by Old French ymne), from Latin hymnus, borrowed from Ancient Greek ὕμνος.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA