suono Italian · revision 38497

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 13th century, Novellino|origins=ine-pro *swenh₂-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈswɔ.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''suono''' ''m'' (plural suoni)^(Wiktionary)

+ The older and poetic form is ''sono'', also popular and regional, and the old plurals included ''le suona'' and ''le suonora''.^(Treccani 2011)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(GDLI)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|sonus|t=sound, noise; voice]], derived from [[m|la|sonō|t=to sound, resound]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[fr|son]], [[oc|so]], [[ca|so]], [[pt|som]] and Old Spanish [[m|osp|sueno]] (modern [[es|sonido]]), and also [[rm|sun]] and Logudorese [[m|sc|sonu]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DEI notes that it did not survive in Romanian.^(DEI|3677) It was borrowed into [[cy|son]].^(REW 1935)^(DEI|3677)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|sonus]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*swonos]] and [[ine-pro|*swónh₂os]], from the root [[ine-pro|*swenh₂-|t=to sound]], which also gave [[gem-pro|*swanaz]]; de Vaan also considers an older *swenos, or a noun formed from the verb.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The stressed short ⟨ŏ⟩ became the diphthong ⟨uo⟩ in the open syllable; [[sono]] without it is the old and poetic form.^(Treccani 2011)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DEI dates the word to the 12th century;^(DEI|3677)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI's first record is the ''Novellino'' (late 13th century), in the sense of the sensation perceived by the ear.^(DEI|3677)^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante used ''suono'' for the impression a word or phrase makes, and for fame: the fame of a deed that has gone out to the end of the earth.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Boccaccio (1353) has it for the ordered vibrations of a musical instrument, and also for music in general and for a tune that is sung.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) Old Italian also used it for a song and, in the 14th century, for speech or a word.^(DEI|3677) Petrarch speaks of the ''suon de l'amorose note''.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ Leopardi still uses it for renown: “Where is now the fame of those ancient peoples?” (''Or dov'è il suono / di que' popoli antichi?'').^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) In modern Italian it is the physical phenomenon and the sensation, with technical phrases such as ''velocità del suono'', ''muro del suono'' or ''barriera del suono'' (the sound barrier), ''tecnico del suono'' and ''ingegnere del suono''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010) ''Al suono di'' means “to the accompaniment of”, and figuratively ''a suon di'' “by dint of”.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(GRADIT 2003) In linguistics a ''suono'' is a phone.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ Compounds followed with the progress of acoustics: ''ultrasuono'' (1931) and ''transonico'' (1961).^(Nocentini 2010) As a musical term ''suono'' passed into French (1703) and German (1732).^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 12th century – DEI's date for ''suono''.^(DEI|3677)

+ * Late 13th century – The ''Novellino'' has ''suono'' for a sound heard.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for the impression of words and for fame.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1353 – Boccaccio uses it for the sound of a musical instrument.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1703 – French ''suono'' is recorded as a musical term.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1732 – German ''Suono'' is recorded.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1931 – ''Ultrasuono'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1961 – ''Transonico'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(physics)'' [[m|en|sound]]: the vibration of a body that travels through air or another elastic medium and is perceived by the ear.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A sound produced by the voice, an instrument or another source: ''Dalla strada arrivava il suono di una fisarmonica.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(linguistics)'' A [[m|en|phone]] or speech sound; also a phoneme.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The musicality of words or lines, and the impression it gives.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # The tone or drift of something said: ''Il suono di quella risposta non mi è piaciuto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(literary)'' [[m|en|fame]], renown.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(archaic)'' Music; a tune or song.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[ultrasuono]]

+ * [[infrasuono]]

+ * [[ipersuono]]

+ * [[transonico]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[suonare]]

+ * [[sonetto]]

+ * [[la|sonus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Suono'' is also the first person singular present of [[suonare]] (''io suono'').^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}