- viola
- tenor violin, 1797, from It. viola, from O.Prov. viola, from M.L. vitula "stringed instrument," perhaps from Vitula, Roman goddess of joy (see fiddle), or from related L. verb vitulari "to exult, be joyful." Viola da gamba "bass viol" (1724) is from It., lit. "a viola for the leg" (i.e. to hold between the legs).
- Viola
- fem. proper name, from L. viola "the violet" (see violet).
- viol
- musical instrument, late 15c., viel, from M.Fr. viole, from O.Fr., from O.Prov. viola (see viola).
- violin
- 1579, from It. violino, dim. of viola (see viola).
- violoncello
- 1724, from It. violoncello, dim. of violone "bass viol," augmentative of viola (see viola).
- pianola
- c.1896, trademark name (1901) of a player piano, the ending perhaps abstracted from viola (q.v.) 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.
- violet
- early 14c., small plant with purplish-blue flowers, from O.Fr. violette, dim. of viole "violet," from L. viola, cognate with Gk. ion (see iodine), probably from a pre-I.E. Mediterranean language. The color sense (late 14c.) developed from the flower.