Where does “haute-contre” come from?
haute-contre (French) comes from French contre, from Italian contro, from Italian forza, from Latin fortia, from Latin fortis, from Old Latin forctis, from Proto-Italic forktis, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ- — to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain.
haute-contre (French): The highest of the male modal voices. Only specified as a separate voice part in French Baroque repertoire
Definitions
- The highest of the male modal voices. Only specified as a separate voice part in French Baroque repertoire
Ancestry of “haute-contre”, step by step
haute-contre traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French contre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | contre | against; as against; in exchange for |
| 2 | Italian | contro | against; con; counter |
| 3 | Italian | forza | force; strength; ! |
| 4 | Latin | fortia | nominative neuter plural of fortis; accusative... |
| 5 | Latin | fortis | strong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast,... |
| 6 | Old Latin | forctis | strong |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | forktis | strong, robust |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerǵʰ- | to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain |
via French haute
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | haute | feminine singular of haut; high, elegant |