black scale
n.— «The pentatonic scale is sometimes called the black scale, as so many Negro spirituals are pentatonic: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Deep River” were named. (I happen to know that Wings’”Mull of Kintyre” is also pentatonic, but that wasn’t mentioned.) The definitive version is Mahalia Jackson’s.» —“Tears of redemption, snorts of derision” by Miranda Sawyer Observer (United Kingdom) Mar. 25, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ever wonder what medieval England looked and sounded like? In Old English, the word hord meant “treasure” and your wordhord was the treasure of words locked up inside you. A delightful new book uses the language of that period to create...
Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...