Violoncellos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A bowed string instrument of the violin family, larger than a viola and played while seated
2. A musical instrument tuned an octave lower than the violin, often used in orchestras and chamber music
3. An essential member of string ensembles, known for its deep, resonant tone and rich musical range

Etymology: "Violoncellos" is the plural of "violoncello," and the instrument's name is an Italian diminutive that means "little violone." Violone was itself an early form of the double bass, and "violone" was built from "viola" with the augmentative ending "-one," so the name effectively says "big viola." Adding the diminutive "-cello" to that produced a name for a smaller instrument than the violone it grew from. The cello thus carries its size in its name: the Italian word for a small large viola, a reversal that suits an instrument that sits between the viola and the double bass in range. English took the word directly from Italian, which is why the plural is most often given as "violoncellos" alongside the shortened "cellos," the form most English speakers actually use.

Synonyms: cellos