音   Musique   Music  

Most words of classical music come from Italian:
a capella ('in chapel [style]')
accelerando (faster) ⇨ Rapide: Fast
adagio (slow, easy)
allegro (joyous) ⇨ Joyeux: Merry
alto (high) ⇨ Haut: High
andante (going) ⇨ Aller: to Go
aria (air)
assai (very)
attacco (attack) ⇨ Attacher: to Fasten
basso (low) ⇨ Bas: Low
breve ⇨ Bref: Short
cantata (song), cantabile (singable) ⇨ Chanter: to Sing
capriccio (whim) ⇨ Chèvre: Goat
coda (tail) ⇨ Queue: Tail
crescendo (growing) ⇨ Croître: to Grow
diminuendo (diminishing) ⇨ Petit: Small
duo ('group of two') ⇨ Deux: Two
falsetto ('a little false') ⇨ Faux: Wrong
forte (strong, loud) ⇨ Fort: Strong
glissando (sliding) ⇨ Chute: Fall
intermezzo ('in the middle') ⇨ Inter: Between
largo (wide) ⇨ Large: Wide
leggero (light) ⇨ Léger: Light
lento (slow) ⇨ Rapide: Fast
libretto ('small book'): ⇨ Livre: Book
maestoso (with majesty): ⇨ Grand: Big
mezzo (middle, half) ⇨ Moitié: Half
obbligato (obligatory) ⇨ Lier: to Bind
opera (work): ⇨ Travail: Work
oratorio (praying)
ostinato (obstinate)
piano (slow, quiet)
pizzicato (plucked)
portamento (style) ⇨ Porter: to Carry
presto (fast) ⇨ Rapide: Fast
rallentando (slowing down) ⇨ Tard: Late
ritardando (slowing down) ⇨ Tard: Late
ritenuto (held back) ⇨ Tenir: to Hold
rubato ('stolen', freely)
scherzo (jest)
sempre (always)
senza (without)
solfeggio ('sol-fa')
sonata (played)
soprano ('upper', 'supreme') ⇨ Supra-: Over
sordino (mute)
sostenuto (sustained)
staccato (detached) ⇨ Attacher: to Fasten
tanto (so much)
tempo (time) ⇨ Temps: Time
tenuto (held) ⇨ Tenir: to Hold
toccata (touched)
tremolo (shaking) ⇨ Trembler: to Shake
trio ('group of three') ⇨ Trois: Three
troppo (too much)
vibrato (vibrated)
vivace (lively) ⇨ Vie: Life

Some Italian words reached English through French:
barocco ('irregular pearl') → baroque
cadenza → cadence ⇨ Chute: Fall
divertimento (entertainment) → divertissement
fuga (flight) → fugue ⇨ Fuir: to Flee
giga ('fiddle') → gigue
interludio ('middle play') → interlude
pasticcio ('paste', medley) → pastiche
preludio ('preliminary play') → prelude (prélude)
serenata ('night [song]') → serenade

Some words are definitely French:
allemande (German)
aubade ('morning [song]') ⇨ Blanc: White
clef (key) ⇨ Clé: Key
counterpoint (contrepoint, 'point against point') ⇨ Pointu: Sharp
ensemble ⇨ Semblable: Same
entr'acte ('between acts [in a play or an opera]', entracte)
étude (study)
fanfare (a flourish of brass instruments)
impromptu ('without preparation') ⇨ Temps: Time
ligature (tie) ⇨ Lier: to Bind
minuet ('smallish', pretty, menuet) ⇨ Petit: Small
nocturne (nightly) ⇨ Nuit: Night
opéra comique ('comedy opera', opera with dialogues)
overture (opening, ouverture) ⇨ Ouvrir: to Open
quadrille ('[dance for] four couple') ⇨ Quatre: Four
reprise ('retake') ⇨ Prendre: to Take
suite (following) ⇨ Suivre: to Follow
unison ('one sound', unisson) ⇨ Un: One

Some are Latin:
magnificat ('[my soul] magnifies [the Lord]') ⇨ Grand: Big
opus (work): ⇨ Travail: Work
requiem ('[eternal] rest')
Te Deum ('[we praise] Thee God')

See also:
⇨ duet
⇨ trio
⇨ quartet
⇨ quintet
⇨ sextet
⇨ septet
⇨ octave

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音 Musique: Music
画 Peinture: Painting
唱 Chanter: to Sing
绘 Dessiner: to Draw

© Renaud Bouret