English
duet
Duet comes from Italian duetto ‘short musical composition for two voices’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwóh₁‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*duō‘two’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduae ~ duas
- Italianc. 1300–presentdue‘two’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentduetto‘short musical composition for two voices’diminutive of due
- Englishearliest quotation 1864duet
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwóh₁‘two’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*duō‘two’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduae ~ duas
- Italianc. 1300–presentdue‘two’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentduetto‘short musical composition for two voices’diminutive of due
- Englishearliest quotation 1864duet
Earliest quotation: 1864, Charles Whitehead, The Stock-Broker: “My dear papa!” duetted the girls; but there was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ‘two’
two, doubt, vice, defeat, twin, binary, vicious, diplomacy, twain, bis, disparate, biceps, twig, duality, binocular, betwixt, 20 more
through Proto-Italic *duō ‘two’
Today it means
noun A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ / duet