Where does “sotto voce” come from?
sotto voce (English) comes from Italian sottovoce, from Italian sotto-, from Italian sotto, from Latin subtus, from Latin sub, from Proto-Italic supo, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
sotto voce (English): In soft tones; quiet; Soft, instruments or voice;...
Definitions
- In soft tones; quiet; Soft, instruments or voice;...
Ancestry of “sotto voce”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Italian | sottovoce | In a low voice; softly; sotto voce; Quiet, calm... |
| 2 | Italian | sotto- | sub-; under- |
| 3 | Italian | sotto | under, beneath, underneath; below, south of; down |
| 4 | Latin | subtus | below, underneath, beneath |
| 5 | Latin | sub | under, beneath; behind; at the feet of |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | supo | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |