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piano [piano 词源字典]: piano: [19] Piano is short for pianoforte [18], a term borrowed from Italian which means literally ‘softloud’. It was a lexicalization of an epithet (piano e forte ‘soft and loud’) applied in the early 18th century to a new sort of harpsichord whose volume could be varied by the use of dampers. Italian piano itself is descended from Latin plānus ‘flat, even’, later ‘smooth’, source of English plain. It was introduced into English as a musical direction in the late 17th century.
=> plain, plane[piano etymology, piano origin, 英语词源]
Appian Way: road between Rome and Capua, so called because it was begun (302 B.C.E.) by the consul Appius Claudius Caecus.
bathukolpian (adj.): "big-breasted," 1825, from Greek bathykolpos, literally "deep-bosomed," from bathys "deep" (see benthos) + kolpos "breast" (see gulf (n.)).
callithumpian (adj.): 1836, U.S. colloquial, probably a fanciful construction. The "English Dialect Dictionary" reports Gallithumpians as a Dorset and Devon word from 1790s for a society of radical social reformers, and also in reference to "noisy disturbers of elections and meetings" (1770s). The U.S. reference is most commonly "a band of discordant instruments" or bangers on pots and pans, especially to "serenade" a newlywed couple to show disapproval of one or the other or the match.
Caspian: inland sea of central Asia, 1580s, from Latin Caspius, from Greek Kaspios, named for native people who lived on its shores (but who were said to be originally from the Caucasus), Latin Caspii, from a native self-designation, perhaps literally "white."
Ethiopian (n.): 1550s; see Ethiop + -ian. As an adjective from 1680s; earlier adjective was Ethiopic (1650s).
Fallopian (adj.): 1706 in reference to the Fallopian tubes, from Latinized form of the name of Gabriello Fallopio (1523-1562), Italian anatomist who first described them.
Olympian (adj.): "of or belonging to Olympus," c. 1600; see Olympic + -ian. The noun meaning "a great god of ancient Greece" is attested from 1843, from Late Latin Olympianus, from Greek Olympios "pertaining to Olympus;" sense of "one who competes in the (modern) Olympic Games" is from 1976.
pianissimo (adv.): 1724, from Italian pianissimo "very softly," from Latin pianissimus, superlative of pianus (see piano).
pianist (n.): 1822, from French pianiste, from Italian pianista; see piano + -ist. Earlier in English in the French form, pianiste (1816).
piano (n.): 1803, from French piano (18c.), Italian piano, shortened forms of pianoforte (q.v.). As an adverb, "softly," in musical directions (superlative pianissimo), attested from 1680s. Piano wire attested from 1831.
pianoforte (n.): 1767, from Italian, from piano e forte "soft and loud," in full, gravicembalo col piano e forte "harpsichord with soft and loud" (c. 1710), said to have been so named by inventor Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Padua because the ability via dampers to vary the tone is one of the main changes from the harpsichord. Italian piano (adj.) ultimately is from Latin planus "flat, smooth, even," later "soft" (see plane (n.1)).
pianola (n.): c. 1896, trademark name (1901) of a player piano, from piano, the ending perhaps abstracted from viola and meant as a diminutive suffix. The pianola's popularity led to a rash of product names ending in -ola, especially Victrola (q.v.), and slang words such as payola.
Salopian (adj.): "pertaining to Shropshire;" see Shropshire.
thespian (adj.): 1670s, "of or pertaining to tragedy or dramatic acting," from Greek Thespis, semi-legendary 6c. B.C.E. poet of Icaria in Attica, often called the Father of Greek Tragedy. The literal meaning of the name is "inspired by the gods."
thespian (n.): "an actor," 1827, from thespian (adj.). Short form thesp is attested from 1962.
utopian (adj.): 1550s, with reference to More's fictional country; 1610s as "extravagantly ideal, impossibly visionary," from utopia + -an. As a noun meaning "visionary idealist" it is recorded by 1832 (also in this sense was utopiast, 1845).
utopianism (n.): 1783, from utopian + -ism.
fallopian tube: "(In a female mammal) either of a pair of tubes along which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus", Early 18th century: from Fallopius, Latinized form of the name of Gabriello Fallopio (1523–62), the Italian anatomist who first described them.
Aesculapian: "Relating to medicine or physicians", Late 16th century: from Latin Aesculapius, the name of the Roman god of medicine, + -ian.
pianette: "A type of small upright piano", Mid 19th cent.; earliest use found in The Times. From piano + -ette.
apian: "Relating to bees", Early 19th century: from Latin apianus, from apis 'bee'.