Nonet
/nɒˈnɛt/noun
A group or set of nine, especially a musical composition for nine performers.
Did you know?Nonet comes from Latin novem (“nine”) plus the diminutive suffix -et, so its core idea is literally a “little nine,” a neat example of how Latin number-words still shape modern technical vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁néwn̥
“nine”
Latin
Latin
novem
“nine”
Latin
Latin
novem + -et
“a set of nine; a little nine”
19th Century
English
nonet
“a composition for nine performers”
Modern English
English
nonet
“a group of nine or a musical work for nine instruments or voices”