piano
/piˈɑːnəʊ/
noun
Origin
Italian
piano — soft, quiet
Overview
Meaning Now
- A large keyboard musical instrument with wire strings that sound when struck by felt-covered hammers operated by the keyboard.
Literal older meaning
soft
Language path
Latin → Italian → English
Earliest form
piano e forte
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
The piano was invented by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700. Unlike the harpsichord, which plucks strings, the piano's mechanism allows the player to vary the volume based on how hard the keys are pressed, hence the original name 'pianoforte' (soft-loud).
Evolution
- Latin
planus
“flat, level”
- Italian
piano
“softly, quietly”
Used as a musical dynamic marking.
- Italian, 1700s
gravicembalo col piano e forte
“harpsichord with soft and loud”
The full name of the instrument invented by Cristofori.
- English, 18th century
piano
“keyboard instrument”
Shortened from pianoforte.
Connections
Word parts
piano
root
soft
Explore next
Related to piano
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.