a cappella
EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Italian alla cappella (“in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel”), referring to non-instrumental choirs.
PronunciationEdit
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌæ.kəˈpɛl.ə/, /ˌæ.kæˈpɛl.ə/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌɑ kəˈpɛl.ə/
- Rhymes: -ɛlə
Audio (US) (file)
NounEdit
a cappella (plural a cappellas)
- (music) A vocal performance with no instrumental accompaniment.
AdverbEdit
a cappella (not comparable)
- (music) In a manner of a choir with no instrumental accompaniment; literally, "in the style of the (Sistine) Chapel (in Rome)", such as a musical Mass done a cappella. [from late 19th c.][1]
- Groups of teens singing a cappella on street corners got recording contracts.
- (obsolete, music) In alla breve time.
TranslationsEdit
performed by a choir with no instrumental accompaniment
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AdjectiveEdit
a cappella (not comparable)
- (music) Singing solely or mainly without instrumental accompaniment. [First attested in the late 19th century.][1]
- An a cappella group sang during the wedding reception.
- (music, US) Related to a form of purely vocal music mostly associated with American college performance groups.
- 2012, Joshua S. Duchan, Powerful Voices, page 2:
- Socially, a cappella groups tend to be tight-knit ensembles in which close interpersonal relationships are formed.
- (obsolete, music) alla breve.
ReferencesEdit
AfrikaansEdit
EtymologyEdit
Either from Dutch a capella or from English a cappella, ultimately from Italian alla cappella.
PronunciationEdit
- Hyphenation: a‧cappella
AdverbEdit
FrenchEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Italian a cappella.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
AdverbEdit
ItalianEdit
EtymologyEdit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
AdverbEdit
DescendantsEdit
- → Chinese: 阿卡貝拉, 阿卡贝拉 (ākǎbèilā)
- → Dutch: a capella
- → English: a cappella, a capella, acapella
- → Estonian: a cappella
- → Finnish: a cappella
- → French: a cappella, a capella
- → German: a cappella
- → Japanese: アカペラ (akapera)
- → Korean: 아카펠라 (akapella)
- → Norwegian Bokmål: a cappella
- → Polish: a cappella, a capella
- → Portuguese: a cappella, a capela, a capella
- → Russian: а капе́лла (a kapélla)
- → Spanish: a capela, a capella, a cappella
- → Swedish: a cappella
Norwegian BokmålEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Italian a cappella.
PronunciationEdit
AdverbEdit
- (music) a cappella (in a manner of a choir with no instrumental accompaniment)
- 1982, Bergens Tidende:
- platen vil … inneholde noen mindre motetter for kor a capella og for kor med orgel
- the plate will … contain some minor motets for choir a capella and for choir with organ
- 1999, Håvard Rem, Bob Dylan, page 35:
- i forrige århundre hadde fargede stått i kirkekor og sunget a cappella
- in the last century, colored people had stood in church choirs and sung a cappella
- synge a cappella ― sing a cappella
- fremføre a cappella ― perform a cappella
Derived termsEdit
- acappellakor (“a cappella choir”)
- acappellasang (“a cappella song”)
ReferencesEdit
- “a cappella” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “a cappella” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
- “a cappella” in Store norske leksikon
PolishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Italian a cappella.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
a cappella (not comparable)
- (idiomatic, music) a cappella (performed by a choir with no instrumental accompaniment)
- Synonym: wokalny
AdverbEdit
a cappella (not comparable)
- (idiomatic, music) a cappella (performed by a choir with no instrumental accompaniment)
- Synonym: wokalnie
Further readingEdit
- a cappella in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- a cappella in Polish dictionaries at PWN
PortugueseEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Italian a cappella.
AdverbEdit
a cappella (not comparable)
- (music) a cappella (performed by a choir with no instrumental accompaniment)
SpanishEdit
AdverbEdit
- Alternative spelling of a capela