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Piano

2 stages from Italian to English.

Today it means a large keyboard musical instrument with hammer-struck strings
1
Stage 1 of 2
pianoforte
Italian · 1700s
"soft-loud, the keyboard instrument"
literally "soft-loud", describing the instrument's dynamic range
2
Stage 2 of 2
piano
English · 1800s
"the keyboard instrument"
shortened from "pianoforte" in everyday use
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