Violone
/ˌviːəˈloʊni/noun
A large bass string instrument of the viol family, or an early double-bass-type instrument.
Did you know?Violone is an Italian augmentative built from viola, and in historical sources it could refer to several different large bass string instruments, not just one fixed design.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vitula
“a stringed instrument, possibly a lyre-like or fiddle-like instrument”
Medieval Latin
Latin
viola
“a bowed string instrument”
Italian
It
violone
“a large viol; a bass stringed instrument”
16th-17th Century
English
violone
“a large bass viol or related low string instrument”
Modern English
English
violone
“a historical large bass string instrument of the viol family”