Dolce
/ˈdoltʃe/noun
An Italian word meaning sweet, soft, or gentle, often used in music directions.
Did you know?Italian dolce descends from Latin dulcis, the same root behind English words like ‘edulcorate’ and ‘dulcet,’ showing how sweetness became a lasting linguistic spell across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dl̥kʷ-
“sweet, pleasant”
Latin
Latin
dulcis
“sweet, pleasant”
Late Latin
Latin
dulce
“sweet thing; sweetly”
Old Italian
Italian
dolce
“sweet; gentle”
Modern Italian
Italian
dolce
“sweet; soft; gentle”
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