English
sinfonia
Sinfonia comes from Italian sinfonia ‘symphony’, from Latin symphōnia ‘an agreement of sounds’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμφωνῐ́ᾱsŭmphōnĭ́ā‘agreement in sound, symphony’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymphōnia‘an agreement of sounds’
- Italianc. 1300–presentsinfonia‘symphony’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰōnā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφωνήphōnḗ‘sound’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμφωνῐ́ᾱsŭmphōnĭ́ā‘agreement in sound, symphony’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsymphōnia‘an agreement of sounds’
- Italianc. 1300–presentsinfonia‘symphony’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
professor, famous, focus, fuel, ben, phase, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, fate, fancy, fame, photographer, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, emphasis, phenomenon, abandon, profession, phantom, beck, infant, beacon, confess, eff, fab, fay, bane, boon, prophetic, epiphany, fable, buoy, nefarious, profess, bene, banal, 121 more
through Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́
saxophone, gramophone, phoneme, 14 more
through Ancient Greek φωνή ‘sound’
phone, cacophony, phonon, euphonium, 17 more
through Latin symphōnia ‘an agreement of sounds’
Today it means
noun A symphony.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / sinfonia