Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sourdine” come from?

sourdine (English) comes from French sourdine, from Italian sordina, from Italian sorda, from Italian sordo, from Latin surdus, from Proto-Indo-European swēr- — heavy.

sourdine (English): A muted trumpet; A mute; a damper; Muffled,...

Definitions

  1. A muted trumpet; A mute; a damper; Muffled,...

Ancestry of “sourdine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsourdinemute; first-person singular present indicative of...
2Italiansordinaa mute device for musical instruments, such as...
3Italiansordafeminine singular of sordo; female equivalent of...
4Italiansordodeaf; muffled; dull
5Latinsurdusdeaf; inattentive, unresponsive; silent,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswēr-heavy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēr- →