different between contralto vs soprano

English

Etymology

Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?t?ælt??/, /k?n?t???lt??/
• Rhymes: -ælt??, -??lt??

Noun

contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)

1. (music) The lowest female voice or voice part, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. The terms contralto and alto refer to a similar musical pitch, but among singers, the term contralto is reserved for female singers; the equivalent male form is counter-tenor. Originally the contratenor altus was a high countermelody sung against the tenor or main melody.

Synonyms

• alto

Coordinate terms

• (voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto (female); countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass (male)

Related terms

• contratenor altus
• alto
• tenor

Translations

Italian

Etymology

contra- +? alto.

Noun

contralto m (plural contralti)

1. contralto (female)
2. counter-tenor (male)

Derived terms

• contraltile

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -awtu, -altu
• Hyphenation: con?tral?to

Noun

contralto m (plural contraltos)

1. (music) contralto (voice between tenor and mezzo-soprano)
2. (music) contralto (singer with this voice)

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *super?nus, adjective from preposition Latin super (“above”). Doublet of sovereign, from the same Latin root via Old French.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /s??p?æno?/

Noun

soprano (plural sopranos or soprani or sopranoes)

1. Musical part or section higher in pitch than alto and other sections.
2. Person or instrument that performs the soprano part.

   Synonym: (person) sopranist

Coordinate terms

• (voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto (female); countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass (male)
• (music) SATB (Initialism of soprano, alto, tenor, bass.)

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

soprano (third-person singular simple present sopranos, present participle sopranoing, simple past and past participle sopranoed)

1. to sing or utter with high pitch, like a soprano singer

See also

• soprano on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Proanos, pronaos

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super. Doublet of the inherited sobirà.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /so?p?a.no/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /su?p?a.nu/

Noun

soprano m (plural sopranos)

1. soprano

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super. Doublet of the inherited souverain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?.p?a.no/
• Homophone: sopranos

Noun

soprano m (plural sopranos)

1. soprano

   Synonym: soprane

Further reading

• “soprano” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *super?nus, from Latin super. Also from *super?nus: Italian sovrano.

Noun

soprano m (plural soprani)

1. a singer, commonly a woman, with a register higher than alto and the rest of the parts: soprano leggero, soprano lirico
2. the upper part in harmony for mixed voices: parte di soprano
3. instrument that performs the soprano part: flauto soprano

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from English soprano, from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *super?nus, from Latin super.

Noun

soprano m (plural sopranos)

1. (Jersey, music) soprano

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super. Doublet of soberano.

Noun

soprano m (plural sopranos)

1. (music) soprano (the highest vocal range)

Noun

soprano m, f (plural sopranos)

1. soprano (person singing with a soprano voice)

Romanian

Noun

soprano n (plural soprane)

1. Alternative form of sopran

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian soprano, from Vulgar Latin *superanus, from Latin super. Doublet of soberano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so?p?ano/, [so?p?a.no]
• Rhymes: -ano

Noun

soprano m or f (plural sopranos)

1. soprano (singer)

Noun

soprano m (plural sopranos)

1. soprano (pitch)