Alto

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæl.təʊ/

Definitions

1. A vocal range that falls between soprano and tenor
2. A musical part typically sung by females in choral arrangements
3. A singing voice that lies below soprano and above tenor, usually performed by female singers ; a melody or harmony in a musical composition suited to middle-lower vocal tones

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "alto" is that it once named the highest male voice, not the lowest female one. In Italian, "alto" simply means "high", and the musical term came from the idea of the highest part in a choir or polyphonic piece, which was the one sung by the upper voice. Over time the top line in choral music was sung by boys and falsettists, and the label drifted down the register to the contralto range. English borrowed the word from Italian, and it is a doublet of "old", since both descend from the same Latin root, "altus", meaning "high" or "grown up". The two words split in English: "old" stayed a native adjective for age, while "alto" was taken over as a technical term from music. The meaning of the musical sense flipped as well, from a high part to the lowest adult female range, which shows how a word can keep its sense of height while the voice it describes moves in the opposite direction.

Synonyms: soprano, mezzo-soprano