Where does “violin” come from?
Violin derives from Italian violino, diminutive of viola, from Latin viola, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European welh₁-, with the suffix -inus added through Latin vitulus and vitula.
violin (English): A musical four-string instrument, generally...
Definitions
- A musical four-string instrument, generally...
Ancestry of “violin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Violine | violin |
| 2 | Italian | violino | violin, fiddle; violin, violinist |
| 3 | Italian | -ino | Alterative suffix used to form diminutives; Used... |
| 4 | Latin | -īnus | of or pertaining to; -ine |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -īnos | of/belonging to |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |