libretto

See also: Libretto

English

WOTD – 14 July 2010

Etymology

From Italian libretto, diminutive of libro (“book”), from Latin liber (“book”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /lɪˈbɹɛt.əʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /lɪˈbɹɛt.oʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

libretto (plural librettos or libretti)

1. The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera.
   • 2002 March 1, Richard Traubner, “Mozart's Singspiel”, in Playbill‎^[1]:

     From Mozart's letters we know that the composer decided to enlarge the part of Osmin, the harem keeper, because the originator of the part, Ludwig Fischer, had a freakishly low bass voice that Mozart wanted to exploit. Osmin's principal arias and ensembles were duly lengthened beyond what appeared in the original libretto, and he was given yet another song in the third act.

2. A book containing such a text.

Related terms

• librettist
• librettistics

Translations

text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera

• Armenian: լիբրետո (hy) (libreto)
• Belarusian: лібрэ́та n (libréta)
• Bulgarian: либре́то n (libréto)
• Catalan: llibret m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 歌詞／歌词 (zh) (gēcí), 唱詞／唱词 (zh) (chàngcí)

• Czech: libreto (cs) n
• Dutch: libretto (nl) n
• Finnish: libretto (fi)
• French: livret (fr) m
• Georgian: ლიბრეტო (libreṭo)
• German: Libretto (de) n
• Greek: λιμπρέτο (el) n (limpréto)
• Hungarian: librettó (hu), szövegkönyv (hu)
• Ido: libreto (io)
• Italian: libretto (it) m
• Japanese: リブレット (riburetto)
• Korean: 리브레토 (ribeureto)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: libretto m

  Nynorsk: libretto m

• Persian: لیبرتو (libreto)
• Polish: libretto (pl) n
• Portuguese: libreto (pt) m, livreto (pt) m
• Russian: либре́тто (ru) (librétto)
• Spanish: libreto (es) m
• Ukrainian: лібре́то (uk) n (libréto)

book containing such a text

• Armenian: լիբրետո (hy) (libreto)
• Belarusian: лібрэ́та n (libréta)
• Bulgarian: либре́то n (libréto)
• Catalan: llibret m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 唱本 (zh) (chàngběn)

• Czech: libreto (cs) n
• Dutch: libretto (nl) n
• Finnish: libretto (fi)
• French: livret (fr) m
• Georgian: ლიბრეტო (libreṭo)
• German: Libretto (de) n
• Greek: λιμπρέτο (el) n (limpréto)
• Hungarian: szövegkönyv (hu)
• Ido: libreto (io)
• Italian: libretto (it) m
• Japanese: 台本 (ja) (だいほん, daihon), リブレット (riburetto)
• Korean: 대본(臺本) (ko) (daebon), 리브레토 (ribeureto)
• Macedonian: либре́то n (libréto)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: libretto m

  Nynorsk: libretto m

• Persian: لیبرتو (libreto)
• Polish: libretto (pl) n
• Portuguese: libreto (pt) m, livreto (pt) m
• Russian: либре́тто (ru) n (librétto)
• Ukrainian: лібре́то (uk) n (libréto)

Anagrams

• blottier

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian libretto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liˈbrɛ.toː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: li‧bret‧to

Noun

libretto n (plural libretto's or libretti, diminutive librettootje n)

1. (music) libretto

Finnish

Etymology

From Italian libretto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlibretːo/, [ˈlibre̞t̪ːo̞]
• Rhymes: -ibretːo
• Hyphenation^(key): lib‧ret‧to

Noun

libretto

1. book, libretto (script of a musical)

Declension

Inflection of libretto (Kotus type 1*C/valo, tt-t gradation)
nominative		libretto	libretot
genitive		libreton	librettojen
partitive		librettoa	librettoja
illative		librettoon	librettoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		libretto	libretot
accusative	nom.	libretto	libretot
	gen.	libreton
genitive		libreton	librettojen
partitive		librettoa	librettoja
inessive		libretossa	libretoissa
elative		libretosta	libretoista
illative		librettoon	librettoihin
adessive		libretolla	libretoilla
ablative		libretolta	libretoilta
allative		libretolle	libretoille
essive		librettona	librettoina
translative		libretoksi	libretoiksi
abessive		libretotta	libretoitta
instructive		—	libretoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of libretto (Kotus type 1*C/valo, tt-t gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative librettoni librettoni accusative nom. librettoni librettoni gen. librettoni genitive librettoni librettojeni partitive librettoani librettojani inessive libretossani libretoissani elative libretostani libretoistani illative librettooni librettoihini adessive libretollani libretoillani ablative libretoltani libretoiltani allative libretolleni libretoilleni essive librettonani librettoinani translative libretokseni libretoikseni abessive libretottani libretoittani instructive — — comitative — librettoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative librettosi librettosi accusative nom. librettosi librettosi gen. librettosi genitive librettosi librettojesi partitive librettoasi librettojasi inessive libretossasi libretoissasi elative libretostasi libretoistasi illative librettoosi librettoihisi adessive libretollasi libretoillasi ablative libretoltasi libretoiltasi allative libretollesi libretoillesi essive librettonasi librettoinasi translative libretoksesi libretoiksesi abessive libretottasi libretoittasi instructive — — comitative — librettoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative librettomme librettomme accusative nom. librettomme librettomme gen. librettomme genitive librettomme librettojemme partitive librettoamme librettojamme inessive libretossamme libretoissamme elative libretostamme libretoistamme illative librettoomme librettoihimme adessive libretollamme libretoillamme ablative libretoltamme libretoiltamme allative libretollemme libretoillemme essive librettonamme librettoinamme translative libretoksemme libretoiksemme abessive libretottamme libretoittamme instructive — — comitative — librettoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative librettonne librettonne accusative nom. librettonne librettonne gen. librettonne genitive librettonne librettojenne partitive librettoanne librettojanne inessive libretossanne libretoissanne elative libretostanne libretoistanne illative librettoonne librettoihinne adessive libretollanne libretoillanne ablative libretoltanne libretoiltanne allative libretollenne libretoillenne essive librettonanne librettoinanne translative libretoksenne libretoiksenne abessive libretottanne libretoittanne instructive — — comitative — librettoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative librettonsa librettonsa accusative nom. librettonsa librettonsa gen. librettonsa genitive librettonsa librettojensa partitive librettoaan librettoansa librettojaan librettojansa inessive libretossaan libretossansa libretoissaan libretoissansa elative libretostaan libretostansa libretoistaan libretoistansa illative librettoonsa librettoihinsa adessive libretollaan libretollansa libretoillaan libretoillansa ablative libretoltaan libretoltansa libretoiltaan libretoiltansa allative libretolleen libretollensa libretoilleen libretoillensa essive librettonaan librettonansa librettoinaan librettoinansa translative libretokseen libretoksensa libretoikseen libretoiksensa abessive libretottaan libretottansa libretoittaan libretoittansa instructive — — comitative — librettoineen librettoinensa

Further reading

• “libretto”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

libretto m (plural librettos)

1. libretto

Further reading

• “libretto”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

From libro (“book”) +‎ -etto (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liˈbret.to/
• Rhymes: -etto
• Hyphenation: li‧brét‧to

Noun

libretto m (plural libretti)

1. booklet

Derived terms

• libretto degli assegni
• libretto di circolazione
• libretto di lavoro
• libretto di risparmio
• libretto universitario

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• broletti

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian libretto, from libro.

Noun

libretto m (definite singular librettoen, indefinite plural librettoer, definite plural librettoene)

1. (music) a libretto

Related terms

• librettist

References

• “libretto” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “libretto” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian libretto, from libro.

Noun

libretto m (definite singular librettoen, indefinite plural librettoar, definite plural librettoane)

1. (music) a libretto

Related terms

• librettist

References

• “libretto” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian libretto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liˈbrɛt.tɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛttɔ
• Syllabification: li‧bret‧to

Noun

libretto n

1. (music) libretto (text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera)

Declension

Declension of libretto

	singular	plural
nominative	libretto	libretta
genitive	libretta	librett
dative	librettu	librettom
accusative	libretto	libretta
instrumental	librettem	librettami
locative	libretcie	librettach
vocative	libretto	libretta

Derived terms

nouns

• librecista
• librecistka

 

Further reading

• libretto in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• libretto in Polish dictionaries at PWN