“Leitmotif” originated from the German word “leitmotiv,” and it describes a recurring theme that appears in a musical or literary composition, pointing to a particular person or idea. For example, a musical leitmotif for a character might play whenever that character appears onstage or is referenced. Or in a detective novel, a leitmotif (such as an object or a color) might be attached to scenes that reference clues. The German loanword was especially associated in its origination with the operatic works of Richard Wagner.