viola

See also: Viola, víóla, Vióla, vioła, violă, vióla, violá, violà, and viòla

English

Etymology 1

Viola mandshurica, one of the flowering plants of the genus Viola

From Latin viola (“violet”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈviː.ələ/, /ˈvaɪələ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /vaɪˈoʊlə/, /vɪˈoʊlə/, /ˈvaɪ.ələ/

Noun

viola (plural violas)

1. (botany) Any of several flowering plants, of the genus Viola, including the violets and pansies.

Translations

botany: any of several flowering plants

• Afrikaans: viooltjie, violet
• Bulgarian: теменуга f (temenuga)
• Catalan: viola (ca) f
• Czech: violka f
• Faroese: blákolla f
• Finnish: orvokki (fi)
• Greek: βιόλα (el) f (vióla)
• Hungarian: ibolya (hu), árvácska (hu)
• Italian: viola (it)
• Macedonian: љубичица f (ljubičica), темјанушка f (temjanuška)
• Maori: tiora
• Polish: fiołek (pl) m
• Portuguese: violeta (pt) f
• Romanian: violă (ro) f, viorea (ro) f, toporaș (ro) m
• Russian: фиа́лка (ru) f (fiálka)
• Scottish Gaelic: goirmean-searradh m
• Spanish: violeta (es) f
• Swedish: viol (sv) c

Etymology 2

A viola is a stringed instrument of the violin family

A viola is a stringed instrument of the guitar family

From Italian viola, from Old Occitan viola (modern Occitan viula), from Medieval Latin vitula (“stringed instrument”), possibly from Frankish *fiþulā (“violin, fiddle”). Doublet of viol. Also possibly a doublet of fiddle.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /viˈəʊ.lə/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /viˈoʊ.lə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊlə

Noun

viola (plural violas or (senses 1 and 2, uncommon) viole)

1. A stringed instrument of the violin family, somewhat larger than a violin, played under the chin, and having a deeper tone.
   • 1997 August 9, Edward Rothstein, “A Comeback for the Viola. No Joking.”, in The New York Times‎^[6]:

     But those who attack violists shouldn't throw resin. Once the ergonomic viola catches on what instrument will be immune?

   • 1999 April 25, James E. Oestreich, “MUSIC; Violists Are the Twin Stars Of an Orchestral Galaxy”, in The New York Times‎^[7]:

     Also in that series, without Mr. Masur's guiding hand, Ms. Phelps and Ms. Young will anchor performances of Bach's Sixth "Brandenburg" Concerto, in which violas carry the upper lines.

2. A person who plays the viola.
3. (music) An organ stop having a similar tone.
4. (music) A 10-string steel-string acoustic guitar, used in Brazilian folk music.
5. (music) A berimbau viola, the smallest member of the berimbau used in capoeira music.

Derived terms

• viola clef
• viola paradon
• viola zither
• violist, violaist

 

Related terms

• viola da braccio
• viola da gamba
• viola d'amore
• viola di bordone
• viola pomposa

 

Translations

music: stringed instrument of the violin family

• Afrikaans: altviool, viola
• Armenian: ալտ (hy) (alt), ջութ (hy) (ǰutʻ)
• Basque: biola
• Bulgarian: виола f (viola)
• Catalan: viola (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 中提琴 (zh) (zhōngtíqín)

• Czech: viola (cs) f
• Danish: bratsch (da) c
• Dutch: altviool (nl)
• Esperanto: aldviolono
• Estonian: vioola
• Faroese: bratsj f
• Finnish: alttoviulu (fi)
• French: violon alto (fr) m, alto (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Bratsche (de) f, Viola (de) f, Altgeige f
• Greek: βιόλα (el) f (vióla)
• Hungarian: brácsa (hu), mélyhegedű (hu)
• Icelandic: víóla f, lágfiðla (is) f
• Ido: alto (io)
• Indonesian: viola (id)
• Irish: vióla f
• Italian: viola (it) f
• Japanese: ビオラ (ja) (biora), ヴィオラ (ja) (viora)
• Korean: 비올라 (biolla)
• Latin: (Medieval) vitula f
• Macedonian: вио́ла f (vióla)
• Malay: biola (ms)
• Maori: waiora, tiora
• Mirandese: biola
• Occitan: violon alto m
• Persian: ویولا (fa) (viyolâ), آلتو (fa) (âlto)
• Polish: altówka (pl) f, wiola f
• Portuguese: viola (pt) f

  Brazil: violeta (pt) f

  Portugal: viola d'arco f

• Quechua: wiyula
• Romanian: violă (ro) f, alto (ro) m
• Russian: альт (ru) m (alʹt)
• Scots: viola
• Scottish Gaelic: ailt f, ailt-fhidheall f
• Spanish: viola (es) f
• Swahili: viola
• Swedish: viola (sv) c, altfiol (sv) c
• Tagalog: biyola
• Turkish: viyola (tr)
• Ukrainian: альт (uk) m (alʹt)
• Uyghur: ئالىت (alit)
• Uzbek: alt (uz)
• Vietnamese: viola (vi)
• West Frisian: altfioele
• Yiddish: וויאָלע f (vyole)

music: organ stop

• Czech: viola (cs) f
• Russian: альт (ru) m (alʹt)

music: Brazilian 10-string guitar

• Finnish: viola (fi)
• Portuguese: viola (pt) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} alto (fr)
• Slovene: ^{(please verify)} viola (sl) f

Etymology 3

Interjection

viola

1. (often humorous) Misconstruction of voila.
   • 1988, “Hey Vern, It's Pets”, in Hey, Vern, It's Ernest! (television production), spoken by Dr. Otto (Jim Varney):

     And viola, Eureka California! I have finished my greatest invention: the worst dog in the world!

   • 2011, Hedge Funds for Dummies:

     [...] ; you fill out a form; you write your check; and viola! You're a mutual fund shareholder.

Further reading

• Viola (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:Violas on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Viola (Violaceae) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• Ivalo, oliva, voila, voilà, volia

Afrikaans

Noun

viola (plural violas)

1. a viola (string instrument).

   Synonym: altviool

2. violist

   Synonyms: altvioolspeler, altviolis

Related terms

• viool

Asturian

Adjective

viola (epicene, plural violes)

1. violet

Noun

viola m (plural violes)

1. violet (colour)

viola f (plural violes)

1. violet (flower)

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [biˈɔ.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [viˈɔ.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [viˈɔ.la]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin viola.

Noun

viola f (plural violes)

1. viola (flowering plant of the genus Viola)

Derived terms

• viola alba (V. alba)
• viola boscana (V. sylvestris, now V. reichenbachiana)
• viola canina (V. canina)
• viola groga (Caltha palustris)
• viola d'olor or viola vera (V. odorata)

Etymology 2

Uncertain, probably from Occitan viula, derivative of viular (“playing a string instrument” or “wind”).

Noun

viola f (plural violes)

1. viola (musicial instrument)

Noun

viola m or f by sense (plural violes)

1. violist

   Synonym: violista

Etymology 3

Noun

viola f (plural violes)

1. leapfrog

   Synonym: saltar i parar

Etymology 4

Verb

viola

1. inflection of violar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “viola” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “viola”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “viola” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “viola” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Czech

Noun

viola f

1. viola (musical instrument of the violin family)

Declension

Declension of viola (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	viola	violy
genitive	violy	viol
dative	viole	violám
accusative	violu	violy
vocative	violo	violy
locative	viole	violách
instrumental	violou	violami

Dutch

Etymology

From Italian viola. Doublet of viool and vedel.

Noun

viola f (plural viola's, diminutive violaatje n)

1. Synonym of altviool (“viola”)

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [viˈola]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ola
• Hyphenation: vi‧o‧la

Adjective

viola (accusative singular violan, plural violaj, accusative plural violajn)

1. of or relating to the flower violet
2. the color of such flowers, violet
   violet:  

   Synonym: violkolora

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian viola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋiolɑ/, [ˈʋio̞lɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iolɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): vio‧la

Noun

viola

1. (music) viola

Declension

Inflection of viola (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		viola	violat
genitive		violan	violoiden violoitten
partitive		violaa	violoita
illative		violaan	violoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		viola	violat
accusative	nom.	viola	violat
	gen.	violan
genitive		violan	violoiden violoitten violain rare
partitive		violaa	violoita
inessive		violassa	violoissa
elative		violasta	violoista
illative		violaan	violoihin
adessive		violalla	violoilla
ablative		violalta	violoilta
allative		violalle	violoille
essive		violana	violoina
translative		violaksi	violoiksi
abessive		violatta	violoitta
instructive		—	violoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of viola (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative violani violani accusative nom. violani violani gen. violani genitive violani violoideni violoitteni violaini rare partitive violaani violoitani inessive violassani violoissani elative violastani violoistani illative violaani violoihini adessive violallani violoillani ablative violaltani violoiltani allative violalleni violoilleni essive violanani violoinani translative violakseni violoikseni abessive violattani violoittani instructive — — comitative — violoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative violasi violasi accusative nom. violasi violasi gen. violasi genitive violasi violoidesi violoittesi violaisi rare partitive violaasi violoitasi inessive violassasi violoissasi elative violastasi violoistasi illative violaasi violoihisi adessive violallasi violoillasi ablative violaltasi violoiltasi allative violallesi violoillesi essive violanasi violoinasi translative violaksesi violoiksesi abessive violattasi violoittasi instructive — — comitative — violoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative violamme violamme accusative nom. violamme violamme gen. violamme genitive violamme violoidemme violoittemme violaimme rare partitive violaamme violoitamme inessive violassamme violoissamme elative violastamme violoistamme illative violaamme violoihimme adessive violallamme violoillamme ablative violaltamme violoiltamme allative violallemme violoillemme essive violanamme violoinamme translative violaksemme violoiksemme abessive violattamme violoittamme instructive — — comitative — violoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative violanne violanne accusative nom. violanne violanne gen. violanne genitive violanne violoidenne violoittenne violainne rare partitive violaanne violoitanne inessive violassanne violoissanne elative violastanne violoistanne illative violaanne violoihinne adessive violallanne violoillanne ablative violaltanne violoiltanne allative violallenne violoillenne essive violananne violoinanne translative violaksenne violoiksenne abessive violattanne violoittanne instructive — — comitative — violoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative violansa violansa accusative nom. violansa violansa gen. violansa genitive violansa violoidensa violoittensa violainsa rare partitive violaansa violoitaan violoitansa inessive violassaan violassansa violoissaan violoissansa elative violastaan violastansa violoistaan violoistansa illative violaansa violoihinsa adessive violallaan violallansa violoillaan violoillansa ablative violaltaan violaltansa violoiltaan violoiltansa allative violalleen violallensa violoilleen violoillensa essive violanaan violanansa violoinaan violoinansa translative violakseen violaksensa violoikseen violoiksensa abessive violattaan violattansa violoittaan violoittansa instructive — — comitative — violoineen violoinensa

Derived terms

• violisti

 

Further reading

• “viola”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[8] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-04

Anagrams

• Ivalo, Olavi, loiva, lovia, olvia, valio, valoi

French

Verb

viola

1. third-person singular past historic of violer

Anagrams

• lovai, voila, voilà, volai

Italian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin viola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /viˈɔ.la/, /ˈvjɔ.la/
• Rhymes: -ɔla
• Hyphenation: vi‧ò‧la, viò‧la

Adjective

viola (invariable)

1. purple, violet

   Synonyms: violetto, violaceo

Noun

viola f (plural viole)

1. viola, violet (plant)

   Synonym: violetta

2. violet, purple (color)

   Synonym: violetto

Derived terms

• violacciocca
• violaceo

Etymology 2

Possibly from Old Occitan viola (modern Occitan viula), ultimately from Medieval Latin *vitula (“stringed instrument”), which could be related to the goddess Latin vitula.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /viˈɔ.la/, /ˈvjɔ.la/
• Rhymes: -ɔla
• Hyphenation: vi‧ò‧la, viò‧la

Noun

viola f (plural viole)

1. (music) viola
2. (music) fiddle

Derived terms

• viola da braccio
• viola da gamba
• viola del pensiero

Descendants

• → English: viola

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “violin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvi.o.la/
• Rhymes: -iola
• Hyphenation: vì‧o‧la

Verb

viola

1. inflection of violare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

See also

Colors in Italian · colori (layout · text)

bianco	argento; grigio	nero
rosso; cremisi	arancione; marrone; bronzo	giallo; oro; crema
verde chiaro; limetta	verde	verde acqua; acquamarina; verde menta; verde menta scuro
ciano; azzurro; celeste; blu petrolio; foglia di tè	azzurro; celeste; celeste scuro	blu; blu scuro
violetto; indaco	magenta; viola	rosa; fucsia; porpora

Further reading

• viola in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• oliva, ovali, voilà, volai

Latin

Etymology 1

Related to Ancient Greek ἴον (íon, “violet”) (from ϝίον). Probably from a pre-I.E. Mediterranean substrate language. See also Middle Persian wnpšk'.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯i.o.la/, [ˈu̯iɔɫ̪ä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈvi.o.la/, [ˈviːolä]

Noun

viola f (genitive violae); first declension

1. violet (flower)

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	viola	violae
genitive	violae	violārum
dative	violae	violīs
accusative	violam	violās
ablative	violā	violīs
vocative	viola	violae

Descendants

• Aromanian: yioarã
• Catalan: viola
• Occitan: viòla
• English: viola, violet
• French: violette, violet
• Italian: viola, violetta
• Piedmontese: viòla, violëtta
• Romanian: vioară, violă
• Spanish: viola, violeta

References

• “viola”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “viola”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• viola in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Etymology 2

From violō.

Verb

violā

1. second-person singular present active imperative of violō

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /viˈɔ.lɐ/ [vɪˈɔ.lɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈvjɔ.lɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /viˈɔ.lɐ/ [vɪˈɔ.lɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈvjɔ.lɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /viˈɔ.la/ [vɪˈɔ.la], (faster pronunciation) /ˈvjɔ.la/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvjɔ.lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvjɔ.lɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbjɔ.lɐ/

• Hyphenation: vi‧o‧la

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese viola, from Old Occitan viola, from Medieval Latin vitula, from vitula, Roman goddess of joy and victory.

Noun

viola f (plural violas)

1. (music) viola (a bowed instrument larger than a violin)
2. (music) viol (a bowed instrument of the violin family held between the legs)
3. (music) viola; viola caipira (10-string acoustic guitar used in Brazilian folk music)
4. (music, loosely or endearing) acoustic guitar
5. guitarfish (any of the rays in the Rhinobatidae family)

Synonyms

• (viol): viola da gamba
• (viola caipira): viola caipira
• (acoustic guitar): violão, guitarra
• (guitarfish): cação-viola, raia-viola, arraia-viola

Derived terms

• adeus viola
• cação-viola
• enfiar a viola no saco
• meter a viola no saco
• raia-viola
• viola bastarda
• viola braguesa
• viola caipira
• viola de amor
• viola de arame
• viola de braço
• viola francesa
• viola pomposa
• viola sertaneja
• violão
• violeiro
• violinha (diminutive)
• violista

 

Related terms

• viola da gamba
• violino
• violoncelo

Descendants

• → Malay: biola
  • Indonesian: biola

Etymology 2

Verb

viola

1. inflection of violar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French violer, from Latin violō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vioˈla/

Verb

a viola (third-person singular present violează, past participle violat) 1st conj.

1. to violate
2. to rape

Conjugation

    conjugation of viola (first conjugation, -ez- infix)

infinitive			a viola
gerund			violând
past participle			violat
number		singular			plural
person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	violez	violezi	violează	violăm	violați	violează
	imperfect	violam	violai	viola	violam	violați	violau
	simple perfect	violai	violași	violă	violarăm	violarăți	violară
	pluperfect	violasem	violaseși	violase	violaserăm	violaserăți	violaseră
subjunctive		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	să violez	să violezi	să violeze	să violăm	să violați	să violeze
imperative		—	tu	—	—	voi	—
	affirmative		violează			violați
	negative		nu viola			nu violați

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbjola/ [ˈbjo.la]
• Rhymes: -ola
• Syllabification: vio‧la

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Italian viola.

Noun

viola f (plural violas)

1. viola (musical instrument)
2. (Argentina, slang) electric guitar

Derived terms

• viola matronal

 

Etymology 2

Verb

viola

1. inflection of violar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “viola”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28