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Where does the word "falsetto" come from? It comes from Italian falsetto, and was adopted directly into English (1770s).
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Where does the word "falsetto" come from? It comes from Italian falsetto, and was adopted directly into English (1770s).
Falsetto’s story begins in Italian: falsetto meant “a small false voice.” A diminutive of falso (false), a high artificial voice above a singer's natural range. It reached English by 1770s as falsetto. Italian 'little false voice'. Today, falsetto means a high-pitched vocal register used above a singer's normal range.
- Stage 1 · Italian · 1700s falsetto "a small false voice", a diminutive of falso (false), a high artificial voice above a singer's natural range.
- Stage 2 · English · 1770s falsetto "an artificially high vocal register", Italian 'little false voice'.