Leitmotif
Etymology
From German "Leitmotiv," "leading motive," from leiten, "to lead," and Motiv, "motif." The term was popularized by the critic Hans von Wolzogen to describe the recurring musical tags in Wagner’s operas. It spread beyond music to literature and film for any signature theme that returns to carry meaning.
noun · /LYTE-moh-teef/
A recurring musical or thematic phrase tied to a particular character, place, or idea.
What it names
The short melody that announces a character every time they appear, or the repeated image that trails a theme through a novel — a name for a motif built to signal meaning on cue.
Example
The rising four-note phrase becomes a leitmotif for the villain, so the audience tenses up before he even walks on screen.
Related idea
A motif is any recurring element; a leitmotif is a motif deliberately bound to one character or idea as its signal.