different between soprano vs countertenor

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)

English

Alternative forms

• counter-tenor
• counter tenor

Etymology

counter- +? tenor

Noun

countertenor (plural countertenors)

1. adult male singer who uses head tone or falsetto to sing far higher than the typical male vocal range
2. male singing voice far higher than the typical male vocal range
3. (Older) a part or section performing a countermelody against the tenor or main part

Coordinate terms

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

Related terms

• contratenor
• contratenor altus
• contratenor bassus

Translations