Where does “viola” come from?

viola (Italian) comes from Old Occitan viola, from Medieval Latin vitula, from Latin Vitula — the Roman goddess of joy and victory. See.

viola (Italian): purple, violet; viola, violet; violet, purple

Definitions

  1. purple, violet; viola, violet; violet, purple

Ancestry of “viola”, step by step

viola traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Occitan viola

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Occitanviola
2Medieval Latinvitulastringed instrument
3LatinVitulathe Roman goddess of joy and victory. See

via Latin viola

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinviolaviolet; second-person singular present active...
2LatinvioloI treat with violence; I maltreat; I violate,...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “viola

Every word from Latin VitulaEvery word from Medieval Latin vitulaEvery word from Old Occitan viola
viola — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer