viola

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

English

Etymology 1

Viola mandshurica,one of the flowering plants of the genusViola

FromLatinviola(“violet”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

viola(pluralviolas)

1. (botany)Any of severalfloweringplants,of thegenusViola,including the violets andpansies.

Translations

botany: any of several flowering plants

• Afrikaans:viooltjie,violet
• Bulgarian:теменугаf(temenuga)
• Catalan:viola(ca)f
• Czech:violkaf
• Faroese:blákollaf
• Finnish:orvokki(fi)
• Greek:βιόλα(el)f(vióla)
• Hungarian:ibolya(hu),árvácska(hu)
• Italian:viola(it)
• Macedonian:љубичицаf(ljubičica),темјанушкаf(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-searradhm
• 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

FromItalianviola,fromOld Occitanviola(modern Occitanviula), fromMedieval Latinvitula(“stringed instrument”),possibly fromFrankish*fiþulā(“violin, fiddle”).Doubletofviol.Also possibly adoubletoffiddle.

Pronunciation

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

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-əʊlə

Noun

viola(pluralviolasor(senses 1 and 2, uncommon)viole)

1. Astringed instrumentof the violin family, somewhat larger than aviolin,played under thechin,and having adeepertone.
2. A person who plays the viola.
3. (music)Anorgan stophaving a similar tone.
4. (music)A 10-string steel-stringacoustic guitar,used in Brazilianfolk music.
5. (music)Aberimbauviola, the smallest member of the berimbau used incapoeiramusic.

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:виолаf(viola)
• Catalan:viola(ca)f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Đàn vi-ô-lông-xen(zh)(zhōngtíqín)

• Czech:viola(cs)f
• Danish:bratsch(da)c
• Dutch:altviool(nl)
• Esperanto:aldviolono
• Estonian:vioola
• Faroese:bratsjf
• 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,Altgeigef
• Greek:βιόλα(el)f(vióla)
• Hungarian:brácsa(hu),mélyhegedű(hu)
• Icelandic:víólaf,lágfiðla(is)f
• Ido:alto(io)
• Indonesian:viola(id)
• Irish:viólaf
• Italian:viola(it)f
• Japanese:ビオラ(ja)(biora),ヴィオラ(ja)(viora)
• Korean:비올라(biolla)
• Latin:(Medieval)vitulaf
• Macedonian:вио́лаf(vióla)
• Malay:biola(ms)
• Maori:waiora,tiora
• Mirandese:biola
• Occitan:violon altom
• Persian:ویولا(phát)(viyolâ),آلتو(phát)(âlto)
• Polish:altówka(pl)f,wiolaf
• Portuguese:viola(pt)f

  Brazil:violeta(pt)f

  Portugal:viola d'arcof

• Quechua:wiyula
• Romanian:violă(ro)f,alto(ro)m
• Russian:альт(ru)m(alʹt)
• Scots:viola
• Scottish Gaelic:ailtf,ailt-fhidheallf
• 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:וויאָלעf(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 atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

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

Etymology 3

Interjection

viola

1. (oftenhumorous)Misconstruction ofvoila.
   • 1988,“Hey Vern, It's Pets”, inHey, Vern, It's Ernest!(television production), spoken by Dr. Otto (Jim Varney):

     Andviola,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; andviola!You're a mutual fund shareholder.

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• Ivalo,oliva,voila,voilà,volia

Afrikaans

Noun

viola(pluralviolas)

1. aviola(string instrument).

   Synonym:altviool

2. violist

   Synonyms:altvioolspeler,altviolis

Related terms

• viool

Asturian

Adjective

viola(epicene,pluralvioles)

1. violet

Noun

violam(pluralvioles)

1. violet(colour)

violaf(pluralvioles)

1. violet(flower)

Catalan

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

BorrowedfromLatinviola.

Noun

violaf(pluralvioles)

1. viola(flowering plant of the genusViola)

Derived terms

• viola alba(V. alba)
• viola boscana(V. sylvestris,nowV. reichenbachiana)
• viola canina(V. canina)
• viola groga(Caltha palustris)
• viola d'olororviola vera(V. odorata)

Etymology 2

Uncertain, probably fromOccitanviula,derivative ofviular(“playing a string instrument” or “wind”).

Noun

violaf(pluralvioles)

1. viola(musicial instrument)

Noun

violamorfby sense(pluralvioles)

1. violist

   Synonym:violista

Etymology 3

Noun

violaf(pluralvioles)

1. leapfrog

   Synonym:saltar i parar

Etymology 4

Verb

viola

1. inflection ofviolar:
   1. third-personsingularpresentindicative
   2. second-personsingularimperative

Further reading

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

Czech

Noun

violaf

1. viola(musical instrument of the violin family)

Declension

Declension ofviola(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

FromItalianviola.Doubletofvioolandvedel.

Noun

violaf(pluralviola's,diminutiveviolaatjen)

1. Synonym ofaltviool(“viola”)

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):[viˈola]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ola
• Hyphenation: vi‧o‧la

Adjective

viola(accusative singularviolan,pluralviolaj,accusative pluralviolajn)

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

   Synonym:violkolora

Finnish

Etymology

FromItalianviola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˈʋiolɑ/,[ˈʋio̞lɑ̝]
• Rhymes:-iolɑ
• Syllabification^(key):vi‧o‧la

Noun

viola

1. (music)viola

Declension

Inflectionofviola(Kotustype 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 violainrare
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 formsofviola(Kotustype 12/kulkija,no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative violani violani accusative nom. violani violani gen. violani genitive violani violoideni violoitteni violainirare 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 violaisirare 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 violaimmerare 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 violainnerare 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 violainsarare 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”,inKielitoimiston sanakirja‎^[6](in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki:Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus(Institute for the Languages of Finland),2004–,retrieved2023-07-04

Anagrams

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

French

Verb

viola

1. third-personsingularpast historic ofvioler

Anagrams

• lovai,voila,voilà,volai

Italian

Etymology 1

BorrowedfromLatinviola.

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

violaf(pluralviole)

1. viola,violet(plant)

   Synonym:violetta

2. violet,purple(color)

   Synonym:violetto

Derived terms

• violacciocca
• violaceo

Etymology 2

Possibly fromOld Occitanviola(modernOccitanviula), ultimately fromMedieval Latin*vitula(“stringed instrument”),which could be related to the goddessLatinvitula.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

violaf(pluralviole)

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

Derived terms

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

Further reading

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

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

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

Verb

viola

1. inflection ofviolare:
   1. third-personsingularpresentindicative
   2. second-personsingularimperative

See also

Colorsin Italian ·colori(layout·text)

bianco	argento;grigio	nero
rosso;cremisi	arancione;marrone;bronzo	giallo;oro;crema
verdechiaro;limetta	verde	verdeacqua;acquamarina;verdementa;verdementascuro
ciano;azzurro;celeste;blupetrolio;fogliaditè	azzurro;celeste;celestescuro	blu;bluscuro
violetto;indaco	magenta;viola	rosa;fucsia;porpora

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• oliva,ovali,voilà,volai

Latin

Etymology 1

Related toAncient Greekἴον(íon,“violet”)(from ϝίον). Probably from a pre-I.E. Mediterraneansubstratelanguage. See alsoMiddle Persianwnpšk'.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

violaf(genitiveviolae);first declension

1. violet(flower)

Declension

First-declensionnoun.

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

Etymology 2

Fromviolō.

Verb

violā

1. second-personsingularpresentactiveimperativeofviolō

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

FromOld Galician-Portugueseviola,fromOld Occitanviola,fromMedieval Latinvitula,fromvitula,Roman goddess of joy and victory.

Noun

violaf(pluralviolas)

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,looselyorendearing)acoustic guitar
5. guitarfish(any of the rays in theRhinobatidaefamily)

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 ofviolar:
   1. third-personsingularpresentindicative
   2. second-personsingularimperative

Romanian

Etymology

BorrowedfromFrenchvioler,fromLatinviolō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/vioˈla/

Verb

a viola(third-person singular presentviolează,past participleviolat)1st conj.

1. toviolate
2. torape

Conjugation

conjugation ofviola(first conjugation,-ez- infix)

infinitive			aviola
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	săviolez	săviolezi	săvioleze	săviolăm	săviolați	săvioleze
imperative		—	tu	—	—	voi	—
	affirmative		violează			violați
	negative		nuviola			nuviolați

Spanish

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

BorrowedfromItalianviola.

Noun

violaf(pluralviolas)

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

Derived terms

• viola matronal

Etymology 2

Verb

viola

1. inflection ofviolar:
   1. third-personsingularpresentindicative
   2. second-personsingularimperative

Further reading

• “viola”,inDiccionario de la lengua española(in Spanish), online version 23.7,Royal Spanish Academy,2023 November 28