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Glossary entry

Italian term or phrase:

"viola da gamba" or "viola de gamba"

English translation:

Viola da gamba in English

Added to glossary by George Rabel
Jul 4, 2005 11:50
18 yrs ago
Italian term

"viola da gamba" or "viola de gamba"

Italian to English Art/Literary Music -Instruments
Dear colleagues,
This is related to a KudoZ question posted in the Portuguese-English pair.

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1080088?login=y

I offered "viola de gamba" and received a disagree by a colleague who says the correct term in Italian is "viola da gamba".
I searched several English dictionaries, and at least one (The Oxford SuperLex), lists both "de" and "da".

In Google, I found 6 pages in Italian with "viola de gamba", vs 12,300 hits for "viola da gamba".

My specific question is:
When writing in English, is it incorrect to call the intrument "viola DE gamba"? I have seen it used many times. I am a great lover or baroque music and have a collection of CDs and albums with music by Bach, Vivaldi, and other baroque composers, and I am quite certain that the term "viola de gamba" is quite extended.

Thank you in advance.

Thanks in advance.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +8 Viola da gamba in English

Discussion

Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL Jul 4, 2005:
for writeaway; my granfather was from the same village near Cremona - Ostiano - but, to be honest, I don't know! Time for a bit of genealogic research very soon!

Proposed translations

+8
8 mins
Selected

Viola da gamba in English

according to ALL my French dicos. viola de gambe is French.

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Note added at 9 mins (2005-07-04 12:00:14 GMT)
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Viola da Gamba Society of America
Web site of the Viola da Gamba Society of America.
vdgsa.org/

The Viola da Gamba Society title page
Information on the society, membership, publications, and performers.
www.vdgs.demon.co.uk/ -

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Note added at 11 mins (2005-07-04 12:01:57 GMT)
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yes, Viola de Gamba is wrong in English I\'d say. Seems to be \'borrowed\' from the French.

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Note added at 46 mins (2005-07-04 12:37:02 GMT)
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yes, Viola de Gamba is wrong in English I\'d say. Seems to be \'borrowed\' from the French.

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Note added at 46 mins (2005-07-04 12:37:04 GMT)
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yes, Viola de Gamba is wrong in English I\'d say. Seems to be \'borrowed\' from the French.

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Note added at 1 hr 51 mins (2005-07-04 13:42:21 GMT)
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sorry for the repeats-when I looked, my addition was only there once and I only clicked once.. weird...
Peer comment(s):
agree Giovanni Guarnieri MITI, MIL : viola da gamba, in Italian.
18 mins
are you related to 'the' Guarnieri family of violin-making fame?
agree Linda 969
33 mins
agree T. Czibulyás : viola da gamba ( italian) = chello
49 mins
agree JenK : viola da gamba or bass viol, in my experience the Italian is used most often
1 hr
neutral Stefan de Boeck (X) : viola da gamba is the only correct contemporary Italian term. It is, I quote from Garzanti (Dizionario) 'come l'odierno violoncello'; that is, 'like today's cello'. It is not the same instrumeny, however; Perhaps Vivaldi thought of it as 'viola de gamba'.
1 hr
agree Nancy Arrowsmith
1 hr
agree luskie
3 hrs
agree Rachel Fell
10 hrs
agree cologne : According to The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, viol or viola da gamba. Viola DE gamba is Sp., and possibly Port. as well. // This is Laurel Boyd - Jane used this computer last! :-)
1 day 4 hrs
musical chairs? :-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you very much. I will humbly accept the dissagree I received. "