Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mezzo-soprano” come from?

mezzo-soprano (English) comes from Italian mezzosoprano, from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin superanus, from Latin super, from Latin eks-uper, from Proto-Indo-European upéri, from Proto-Indo-European upér, from Proto-Indo-European upó.

mezzo-soprano (English): A voice or voice part intermediate in compass...

Definitions

  1. A voice or voice part intermediate in compass...

Ancestry of “mezzo-soprano”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianmezzosopranomezzo-soprano
2Italiansopranoa singer, commonly a woman, with a register...
3Vulgar Latinsuperanus—
4Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
5Latineks-uper—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →