Where does “soprano” come from?
Soprano derives from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin superanus, from Latin super with the suffix -um, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European upo meaning above or over.
soprano (English): Musical part or section higher in pitch than alto...
Definitions
- Musical part or section higher in pitch than alto...
Ancestry of “soprano”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | soprano | a singer, commonly a woman, with a register... |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | superanus | — |
| 3 | Latin | super | "accusative" above, on the top of, upon;... |
| 4 | Latin | eks-uper | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | upéri | alternative reconstruction of *upér |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |