A threnoy is a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person (synonyms include dirge, coronach, lament, and elegy). The term originates from the Greek word threnoidia, from threnos (lament) + oide (song). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root wed- (to speak) that is also the forefather of such words as ode, tragedy, comedy, parody, melody, and rhapsody.