Tempo
/ˈtɛm.poʊ/noun
The speed or pace at which a piece of music is played or an action happens.
Did you know?Tempo entered English through Italian, but its deeper ancestry goes back to Latin *tempus*, the same root that gave English *time* and *temple*, tying rhythm, timing, and sacred space together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*temp-
“to stretch, extend; a period of time”
Latin
Latin
tempus
“time, a season, a portion of time”
Italian
Italian
tempo
“time; musical speed or pace”
18th Century
English
tempo
“The speed at which music is played”
Modern English
English
tempo
“The rate or pace of movement, activity, or music”