Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tempo” come from?

Tempo comes from Italian tempo, from Latin tempus meaning "time," from Proto-Indo-European tempos, ultimately from the root temp-.

tempo (English): A frequency or rate; A move which is part of...

Definitions

  1. A frequency or rate; A move which is part of...

Ancestry of “tempo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtemporaryNot permanent; existing only for a period or...
2Latintemporārius—
3Latintempustime, period, age; season; kairos, right time,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeantemposstretch
5Proto-Indo-Europeantemp-to extend, stretch, span; to stetch, string; to...

Words derived from “tempo”

  • midtempo
  • tempoed
  • downtempo
Every word from Proto-Indo-European temp- →