piano French · revision 15715

+ French has two words ''piano'', both from Italian: the adverb “softly”, borrowed in the 16th century, and the instrument, shortened from ''piano-forte'' in the 18th.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ {{homograph|1|softly}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1578, Belleau, pian pian|origins=la plānus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pja.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''piano''' (adverb, invariable)^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873)

+ ''Piane piane'' (1505), ''pian pian'' (1578), ''pian piano'' (1618), ''piano'' (1740).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb is [[bor|it|piano|t=softly, gently]], an adverb from about 1300–1313 (Dante), often doubled as “pian piano”,^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|9, 31b) from the adjective [[m|it|piano|t=flat, smooth; calm, soft]], from [[la|plānus|t=flat]], the source of [[plan]] and [[plain]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Littré 1873) Littré explains the sense by softness being compared to something smooth.^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Rémy Belleau's comedy ''La Reconnue'' (1578) has ''pian pian'' “very gently”, preceded by ''piane piane'' (1505), which kept the Italian stress.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In everyday speech the word means “gently, slowly”, sometimes Frenchified again as ''piane-piane'' (1867), and it is known from the proverb ''chi va piano va sano''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) As a musical direction, “softly”, written ''p'', it is found from 1740 (Charles de Brosses), and figuratively in Beaumarchais's ''piano piano'' (1775).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(BHVF) The superlative ''pianissimo'' was borrowed in 1775.^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300–1313 – Italian ''piano'' “gently” (Dante).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1505 – ''Piane piane''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1578 – ''Pian pian'' (Belleau).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1618 – ''Pian piano''.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+ * 1740 – The musical direction (Charles de Brosses).^(TLFi)^(BHVF)

+ * 1775 – ''Piano piano'' and ''pianissimo'' (Beaumarchais).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(music)'' Softly, [[m|en|piano]]; as a noun, a passage played softly.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+ # ''(familiar)'' Gently, slowly: ''allez-y piano !''^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Larousse)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pianissimo]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|musical instrument}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1774, Voltaire|origins=it pianoforte}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pja.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''piano''' ''m'' (plural pianos)^(Wiktionary)

+ ''Piano et forte'' (1766), ''piano-forte'' (1771), ''forte-piano''^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005); ''piano'' (1774).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The instrument is a clipping of [[pianoforte]] (1771^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007); “piano et forte” 1766),^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007) [[bor|it|pianoforte]], earlier “piano e forte” (1732), from [[m|it|piano|t=softly]] and [[m|it|forte|t=loudly]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) Unlike the harpsichord, whose strings are always plucked in the same way, its hammers let the player play softly or loudly at will.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Voltaire uses ''piano-forte'' and ''piano'' in 1774;^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(BHVF) the short form became usual from 1786.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The piano spread quickly in the 19th century^(TLFi); Chateaubriand wrote that “wherever there is a piano, there is no more coarseness”.^(TLFi) The player was called ''pianiste'' from 1829, and Balzac made ''pianoter'' “to strum” (1847).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

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+ Types are distinguished as ''piano droit'' “upright piano”, ''piano à queue'' “grand piano” and ''piano demi-queue''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1732 – Italian ''piano e forte''.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1766 – ''Piano et forte''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1771 – ''Piano-forte''.^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1774 – ''Piano'' (Voltaire).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(BHVF)

+ * 1798 – First recorded by the Académie.^(BHVF)

+ * 1829 – ''Pianiste''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1847 – ''Pianoter'' (Balzac).^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|piano]], a keyboard instrument whose strings are struck by [[m|en|hammer|alt=hammers]]: ''piano droit'', ''piano à queue''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The art of playing the piano: ''professeur de piano''.^(Petit Robert 2007)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pianiste]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[plan]]

+ * [[plain]]

+ * [[forte]]

+ * [[la|plānus]]

+ * [[en|piano]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}