viola

Where does the word "viola" come from? It comes from Latin vitula, passing through Old Provencal and Italian before entering English (1797).

Viola’s story begins in Latin: vitula meant “a stringed instrument.” A word for a stringed instrument, possibly linked to Vitula, a Roman goddess of joy. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old Provencal as viola. Kept the sense of a bowed stringed instrument. From there it passed into Italian as viola by medieval. Developed into a family of bowed instruments preceding the violin. It reached English by 1797 as viola. Borrowed for the tenor member of the violin family. Today, viola means a stringed instrument similar to but larger than a violin.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient vitula "a stringed instrument", a word for a stringed instrument, possibly linked to Vitula, a Roman goddess of joy.
2. Stage 2 · Old Provencal · medieval viola "a stringed instrument", kept the sense of a bowed stringed instrument.
3. Stage 3 · Italian · medieval viola "a bowed stringed instrument", developed into a family of bowed instruments preceding the violin.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1797 viola "a tenor-range bowed stringed instrument", borrowed for the tenor member of the violin family.