Western solfege developed from the Guidonian Hand

Western solfege developed from the Guidonian Hand, a pneumonic device created in the 11th century by a fellow named, of all things, Guido, to help singers in church scholas learn chant, since music notation had not been developed yet. The syllables are each taken from the first line of the Latin hymn Ut queant laxis ("do" replacing "ut" and "ti" replacing "sa/si" among English speakers some time later).

UT queant laxis
REsonare fibris
MIra storum
FAmuli tuorum
SOlve polluti
LAbii reatum
SAncte Joannes!

Since you are so fond of Wikipedia, here's its entry for the Guidonian Hand: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guidonian_hand



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