contralto
English edit
Etymology edit
Contraction of contratenor alto, from Latin contratenor altus.
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /kɒnˈtɹæltəʊ/, /kɒnˈtɹɑːltəʊ/
Audio (Southern England): (file) Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -æltəʊ, -ɑːltəʊ
Noun edit
contralto (plural contraltos or contralti)
- (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.
- 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 68:
- Out in the yard a womanʼs hoarse contralto intoned a hymn.
Synonyms edit
Coordinate terms edit
- (voice types): soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto (female); countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass (male)
Related terms edit
Translations edit
the lowest female voice
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French edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio: (file)
Noun edit
contralto m (plural contraltos)
Further reading edit
- “contralto”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Italian edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
contralto m (plural contralti)
- contralto (female)
- counter-tenor (male)
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
- → Portuguese: contralto
Portuguese edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Italian contralto.[1]
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
contralto m (plural contraltos)
- (music) contralto (voice between tenor and mezzo-soprano)
- (music) contralto (singer with this voice)
Related terms edit
References edit
- ^ “contralto” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024.
Spanish edit
Noun edit
contralto f (plural contraltos)
Further reading edit
- “contralto”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Categories:
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/æltəʊ
- Rhymes:English/æltəʊ/3 syllables
- Rhymes:English/ɑːltəʊ
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- en:Music
- English terms with quotations
- en:Musical voices and registers
- en:Musicians
- en:People
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- Italian terms prefixed with contra-
- Italian 3-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/alto
- Rhymes:Italian/alto/3 syllables
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian countable nouns
- Italian masculine nouns
- Portuguese terms borrowed from Italian
- Portuguese terms derived from Italian
- Portuguese 3-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Portuguese/altu
- Rhymes:Portuguese/altu/3 syllables
- Rhymes:Portuguese/awtu
- Rhymes:Portuguese/awtu/3 syllables
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese countable nouns
- Portuguese masculine nouns
- pt:Music
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish nouns with irregular gender
- Spanish feminine nouns