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Where does the word "tempo" come from? It comes from Latin tempus, passing through Italian before entering English (1700s).
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Where does the word "tempo" come from? It comes from Latin tempus, passing through Italian before entering English (1700s).
Tempo’s story begins in Latin: tempus meant “time.” By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Italian as tempo. Applied to the speed of a piece of music. It reached English by 1700s as tempo. Italian 'time'; Maelzel's metronome of 1815 let composers set exact tempos. Today, tempo means the speed or pace at which a piece of music is played.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient tempus "time", meaning "time".
- Stage 2 · Italian · 1600s tempo "the speed of music", applied to the speed of a piece of music.
- Stage 3 · English · 1700s tempo "the pace at which music is played", Italian 'time'; Maelzel's metronome of 1815 let composers set exact tempos.