Tacet
/ˈtɑːsɛt/noun
A musical direction meaning that a part or instrument is silent.
Did you know?Tacet comes from Latin tacet, meaning ‘he/she/it is silent,’ from tacēre ‘to be silent,’ the same root behind words like tacit and taciturn.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tek-
“to be silent, to keep quiet”
Latin
Latin
tacēre
“to be silent, hold one’s peace”
Latin
Latin
tacet
“he/she/it is silent”
Medieval Latin
Latin
tacet
“a musical notation meaning a part is silent”
Modern English
English
tacet
“a direction in music indicating silence for a performer or part”