Baryton

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbæɹɪtɒn/

Definitions

1. A stringed musical instrument, resembling a cello, recognized for its unique rich timbre and typically played with a bow in orchestras or chamber music
2. This instrument, similar to the cello, produces a deep and resonant sound and is often featured in orchestral and chamber music settings
3. A bowed string instrument akin to a cello known for its deep resonant sound and use in chamber ensembles

Etymology: The baryton is a bowed string instrument from the Baroque era, a relative of the viol family that was played with the bow and also plucked, and it was prized by the German nobility who played it. The name, though, is a neat piece of Greek-based German coinage: it combines "bary-", from the Greek "barys" meaning heavy or deep, with "Ton", the German for tone or sound. The instrument's name thus describes its low, heavy voice rather than its shape or maker. The same Greek root produced a family of English words that look unrelated at first glance. "Baritone" and "barytone" come from the same source, and the three forms are doublets, meaning they entered English by different routes from one shared origin. Each carries the sense of a deep or low-pitched voice, which is why the instrument's name and the singing voice share a meaning despite their different histories.

Synonyms: baritone