Where does “timpani” come from?
Timpani comes from Italian timpani, the plural of Italian timpano, from Latin tympanum, from Ancient Greek τύμπανον, related to Ancient Greek τύπτω meaning to strike, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewp-, derived from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew-.
timpani (English): The set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra
Definitions
- The set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra
Ancestry of “timpani”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Italian | timpani | plural of timpano |
| 2 | Italian | timpano | eardrum, tympanum; drum; gable, tympanum |
| 3 | Latin | tympanum | drum, timbrel, tambour, tambourine |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τύμπανον | drum, kettledrum; drumstick, staff, cudgel;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τύπτω | to beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |
Words derived from “timpani”