See also: légato

English edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Italian legato, past participle of legare (to tie up, tie together, to bind), learned borrowing from Latin ligō (tie, bind). Doublet of ligate.

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) enPR: lə-gäʹtō, IPA(key): /ləˈɡɑ.təʊ/
  • (file)
  • (US) enPR: lə-gäʹtō, IPA(key): /ləˈɡɑ.toʊ/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːtəʊ
  • Hyphenation: le‧ga‧to

Adverb edit

legato (not comparable)

  1. (music) Smoothly, in a connected manner.
    Antonyms: portato, staccato
    Play this passage legato, not portato.

Related terms edit

Translations edit

Noun edit

legato (countable and uncountable, plural legatos)

  1. (music) A style of performance characterized by smoothly connected notes.
    • 1936, Edward E. Cramer, The Basis of Artistry in Violin Playing, page 49:
      It is the coördination of the finger and hand as examplified in the proportionate speed of shifting according to the speed of the musical passage, which makes for evenness, continuity, smoothness, and ultimately, a fine legato.
    • 1979, Leslie Sheppard, Herbert R. Axelrod ·, Paganini, page 604:
      At the end of the prelude of Caprice V, there is a chromatic ascending and descending scale of forty-eight notes to be played in one bow in legato.
    • 1989, Siglind Bruhn, Guidelines to Piano Interpretation, page 97:
      Clementi, in his "Introduction to the art of playing the piano-forte" (1801) still had to advise pianists that : "the best general rule is to keep the keys of the instrument suppressed during the whole length of the note" (p.8) and "whenver the composer leaves the legato or staccato to the taste of the performer, the best rule is to use the legato in most cases and to reserve the staccato in order to give particular passages more spirit and to enhance the higher beauties of the legato."
  2. (music) A passage that is played legato.
    • 1893, The Organ: Monthly Journal Devoted to the King of Instruments, page 198:
      It schools the mind to watch for the legato all the time, as its absence at the organ is mor prominent than at the piano; but beyond this point it renders little assitance to the pianist.
    • 1958, József Gát, The Technique of Piano Playing, page 95:
      A good pianist, however, will make his audience believe that he is as capable of performing a legato as is a singer or violinist.
    • 2000, Chroma Report, page 15:
      Legatos are indicated in both notations by a bow between respective notes.

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams edit

Esperanto edit

Etymology 1 edit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun edit

legato (accusative singular legaton, plural legatoj, accusative plural legatojn)

  1. singular present nominal passive participle of legi

Etymology 2 edit

From Latin legatus.

Noun edit

legato (accusative singular legaton, plural legatoj, accusative plural legatojn)

  1. (Catholicism) legate

Etymology 3 edit

From Italian legato.

Noun edit

legato (uncountable, accusative legaton)

  1. (music) legato

French edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Italian legato.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

legato m (plural legatos)

  1. (music) legato

Further reading edit

Italian edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /leˈɡa.to/
  • Rhymes: -ato
  • Hyphenation: le‧gà‧to

Etymology 1 edit

From legare.

Adjective edit

legato (feminine legata, masculine plural legati, feminine plural legate, superlative legatissimo)

  1. awkward, stiff
  2. linked, connected, tied
  3. close, attached, involved

Participle edit

legato (feminine legata, masculine plural legati, feminine plural legate)

  1. past participle of legare
Further reading edit
  • legato1 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Etymology 2 edit

From Latin lēgātus.

Noun edit

legato m (plural legati)

  1. legate
  2. legacy, bequest, background
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
  • legato2 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams edit

Latin edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

lēgātō m

  1. dative/ablative singular of lēgātus

Participle edit

lēgātō

  1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of lēgātus

Romanian edit

Etymology edit

Unadapted borrowing from Italian legato.

Adverb edit

legato

  1. legato

Swedish edit

Adverb edit

legato (not comparable)

  1. (music) legato

Noun edit

legato n

  1. (music) legato (in a connected manner)
  2. (music) legato (legato passage)

Declension edit

Declension of legato 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative legato legatot legaton legatona
Genitive legatos legatots legatons legatonas

Antonyms edit

References edit