Where does “improvisation” come from?
Improvisation comes from French improvisation, derived from French improviser, from Latin improvisus meaning unforeseen, composed of Latin in- and Latin provisus meaning foreseen.
improvisation (English): The act or art of composing and making music,...
Definitions
- The act or art of composing and making music,...
Ancestry of “improvisation”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | improvisation | improvisation all meanings |
| 2 | French | -ation | Used to indicate action, condition, result or effect; -ation |
| 3 | Middle French | -ation | ation |
| 4 | Old French | -ation | ation |
| 5 | Latin | -ātiō | — |
| 6 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 7 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 8 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 9 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 10 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 11 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 12 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 13 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |