Fortissimo
/fɔːrˈtiːs.ɪ.moʊ/noun
A musical direction meaning very loud or forceful.
Did you know?In Italian music notation, *fortissimo* is the intensified form of *forte*, and its force comes from the same Latin root that gave English words like *fortify* and *fortress*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bherǵʰ-
“to be strong, high, or elevated”
Latin
Latin
fortis
“strong, brave, powerful”
Medieval Latin
Latin
forte
“loudly, strongly”
Italian
Italian
fortissimo
“very strong; very loud in music”
18th Century
English
fortissimo
“a musical direction for very loud playing”
Modern English
English
fortissimo
“very loud; strongest in musical dynamics”