pizzicato

Where does the word "pizzicato" come from? It comes from Italian pizzicato, and was adopted directly into English (1750s).

Pizzicato’s story begins in Italian: pizzicato meant “plucked.” From pizzicare (to pluck), describing strings plucked rather than bowed. It reached English by 1750s as pizzicato. Italian 'pinched'; Monteverdi used it in 1624. Today, pizzicato means a musical direction to pluck the strings of an instrument rather than bow them.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1600s pizzicato "plucked", from pizzicare (to pluck), describing strings plucked rather than bowed.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1750s pizzicato "played by plucking the strings", Italian 'pinched'; Monteverdi used it in 1624.