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violoncello or cello

English translation: Cello

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:violoncello or cello
Selected answer:Cello
Entered by: Martina Pokupec (X)

11:36 Sep 22, 2011
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Music
English term or phrase: violoncello or cello
What is the formal term used?

Thank you!
Martina Pokupec (X)
Croatia
Local time: 08:15
Cello
Explanation:
I've not seen it called Violoncello (except on sheet music, and that's probably older) for years. No apostrophe please - 'cello is now outdated like 'phone (I checked this in Hart's Rules a month or so back)
Selected response from:

Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
United Kingdom
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +15Cello
Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
3violoncello or cello
Vaddy Peters


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +15
Cello


Explanation:
I've not seen it called Violoncello (except on sheet music, and that's probably older) for years. No apostrophe please - 'cello is now outdated like 'phone (I checked this in Hart's Rules a month or so back)

Liz Dexter (was Broomfield)
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães: Agree as a former amateur cellist :) Even in sheet music it is rarely referred to as such nowadays, except as "vlc." of course.
3 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  ClaraVal
5 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Ashutosh Mitra
8 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Noni Gilbert Riley
14 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Sheila Wilson
23 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Therrien: Cello is the correct and proper term.
27 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Charles Davis: Yes, I think so. You do still see "violoncello" sometimes on concert programmes and record covers, but "cello" (without apostrophe, absolutely!) is standard and would be acceptable in just about any context.
32 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree  Jim Tucker (X): Interesting word -- because it's nothing more than a diminutive suffix! (Also viol-on-cello is an aggrandizing suffix plus diminutive: "little big viol" - but there are parallels for this in Italian, like "bastoncino.")
34 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Jenni Lukac (X)
49 mins
  -> thank you!
agree  Paul Lambert: Yes. The two are one and the same, but cello will be recognised everywhere. (But please, never use "phone", either with or without the apostrophe ;) )
1 hr
  -> Thank you and ... erm ... I'm afraid I do use phone!
agree  Louisa Berry: I am a cellist and in general usage I would use cello, except for possibly things like museum exhibits (edited for typo!)
8 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Tony M
8 hrs
  -> Thank you!
agree  Sabine Akabayov, PhD
14 hrs
  -> thank you!
agree  Lara Barnett
18 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  amarpaul
1 day 8 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
violoncello or cello


Explanation:
in Engish it is usually cello
in other languages it can be refered to as violoncello

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Note added at 4 mins (2011-09-22 11:41:25 GMT)
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The name cello is an abbreviation of the Italian violoncello, which means "little violone", or referring to the violone ("big viol"), the lowest-pitched instrument of the

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Note added at 6 mins (2011-09-22 11:43:28 GMT)
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read more at: http://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/celloetymology.htm

Vaddy Peters
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