Allegro

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /əˈlɛɡɹoʊ/

Definitions

1. A tempo marking indicating a lively and brisk pace in music is known as a specific style, while also suggesting a cheerful or brisk manner of doing something
2. A term used in music to denote a fast tempo often conveys a sense of joy or brightness in performance
3. This word refers to both a vigorous musical tempo and the lively character associated with such a pace in artistic expression

Etymology: Italian "allegro" meant "cheerful" or "merry" long before it became a music term, and it reached English in the same way: as a direct loan from Italian. Its Latin ancestor is "alacer", "brisk" or "eager", which is also the source of English "alacrity". The word carried that sense of quick, lively energy into the Italian vocabulary, and the musical use came later, when composers began marking movements with it to signal a brisk pace. In English, the adverb is used as a tempo marking, telling performers to play quickly and cheerfully. Its adjective and noun uses (an allegro passage, an allegro) come from the same Italian source. Over time the tempo sense became the dominant one, while the notion of gaiety persisted in its character, so a piece marked allegro is expected to sound bright as well as fast.