crescendo

Where does the word "crescendo" come from? It comes from Latin crescere, passing through Italian before entering English (1700s-1800s).

Crescendo’s story begins in Latin: crescere meant “to grow, increase.” Meaning "to grow". By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Italian as crescendo. A musical direction meaning to gradually increase in volume. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as crescendo. Rossini's operas were famous for their building crescendos. Today, crescendo means a gradual increase in loudness or intensity, or its climax.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient crescere "to grow, increase", meaning "to grow".
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1700s crescendo "gradually increasing in volume", a musical direction meaning to gradually increase in volume.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s-1800s crescendo "a gradual increase in intensity or volume", Rossini's operas were famous for their building crescendos.