quintette

Forms

quintette m (plural quintettes)^[1] Earlier spellings quintet and quintett (1801), the Italian plural quintetti (1814) and the Italian form quintetto (1826, 1837).^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian quintetto, a diminutive of quinto (“fifth”), from Latin quīntus (“fifth”).^[2][4][3] The Italian word was formed on the model of quartetto, the source of quartette.^[2][4] The first French spellings quintet and quintett (1801) show that the word came through German Quintett before it was given its French shape in 1828.^[2][4] Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1838, with the Italian form quintetto from 1778.^[5]

It replaced the older musical term quinque, used in the 18th century, which had been taken from Latin quīnque (“five”) on the model of quatuor.^[4][5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In 1801 the Journal général de la littérature étrangère uses quintet for a piece of music for five instruments.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Littré noted that the word, which by its Italian diminutive should have named only short pieces, had wholly replaced quinque for five-part works of any length.^[6] From the piece of music it passed to the players: five opera singers (quintetto, Balzac, 1837), then a group of five string players (1851), and by extension any group of five people (1866).^[2][4]

The sense “five-piece jazz band” (1934) is a borrowing from English quintet or quintette, which English had itself taken from French.^[4][7] English had quintetto from 1792 and quintet from 1811.^[8]

Timeline

• 1801 – Quintet is used of a piece for five instruments.^[2]
• 1814 – Stendhal writes the Italian plural quintetti.^[2]
• 1828 – The spelling quintette appears in Le Figaro.^[2][4]
• 1837 – Balzac uses quintetto of five opera singers.^[2]
• 1851 – Murger uses it for a group of five string players.^[2][4]
• 1866 – Amiel applies it to any group of five people.^[2][4]
• 1931 – A football sense, the five forwards of a side, is recorded.^[3][4]
• 1934 – It names a five-piece jazz band, after English.^[4][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. (music) A composition for five instruments or five voices: quintette à cordes, quintette à vent, quintette pour piano et cordes.^[7][3][9]
2. (music) A group of five musicians or singers who perform such a work, especially a five-piece jazz band: Le quintette jouait tous les samedis.^[7][2][9]
3. (rare) Any group of five people or things.^[2]

Related words

• quatuor
• quartette
• Latin quīntus
• Italian quintetto
• English quintet

Usage notes

The Grand Robert gives a second quintette (1931), from English quintet or Italian quintetto: in football, the five attacking players of a team (forwards and inside forwards).^[3] The BHVF cites this football sense from L'Œuvre (1941).^[10] Littré notes that, said of voices, the word does not count the accompaniment.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
10. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF