Etymology Explorer › Italian

Where does “mezzosoprano” come from?

mezzosoprano (Italian) comes from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin superanus, from Latin super, from Latin eks-uper, from Proto-Indo-European upéri, from Proto-Indo-European upér, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.

mezzosoprano (Italian): mezzo-soprano

Definitions

  1. mezzo-soprano

Ancestry of “mezzosoprano”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiansopranoa singer, commonly a woman, with a register...
2Vulgar Latinsuperanus—
3Latinsuper"accusative" above, on the top of, upon;...
4Latineks-uper—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanupérialternative reconstruction of *upér
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “mezzosoprano”

  • mezzo-soprano
  • mezzo
  • メゾソプラノ
  • メッツォソプラノ
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →