Where does “cello” come from?
Cello comes from Italian violoncello, a diminutive of viola, which derives from Old Occitan viola, itself from Latin vitula, meaning a stringed instrument, ultimately from Latin vis meaning force or power.
cello (English): A large stringed instrument of the violin family...
Definitions
- A large stringed instrument of the violin family...
Ancestry of “cello”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | violoncello | A large stringed instrument of the violin family,... |
| 2 | Italian | violoncello | violoncello, cello |
| 3 | Italian | violone | violone |
| 4 | Italian | Viola | purple, violet |
| 5 | Italian | -one | Alterative suffix used to form augmentatives;... |
| 6 | Latin | -ō | suffixed to nouns or adjectives. Originally a-stem nouns. Later extended to nouns with other stems. Forms regular first-conjugation verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |