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Origin and history of forte

forte(n.)

1640s, fort, from French fort "strong point (of a sword blade)," earlier "fort, fortress" (see fort). Meaning "strong point of a person, that in which one excels," is from 1680s. Final -e- added 18c. in imitation of Italian forte "strong."

forte(adj.)

music instruction, "loud, loudly," from Italian forte, literally "strong," from Latin fortis "strong" (see fort). Opposed to piano.

Entries linking to forte

fort(n.)

mid-15c., "fortified place, stronghold," from Old French fort "fort, fortress; strong man," noun use of adjective meaning "strong, stout, sturdy; hard, severe, difficult; hard to understand; dreadful, terrible; fortified" (10c.), from Latin fortis "strong, mighty; firm, steadfast; brave, spirited," from Old Latin forctus, which is of unknown etymology. Possibly from PIE root *bhergh- (2) "high, elevated," with derivatives referring to hills and hill-forts, or possibly from *dher- "to hold firmly, support." Figurative use of hold the fort attested from 1590s.

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    piano
    "percussion musical instrument in which tones are produced by blows of hammers upon stretched strings, the hammers being operated from a keyboard," 1803, from French piano (18c.), Italian piano, shortened forms of pianoforte (q.v.). Essentially, the pianoforte is a large dulcime
    specialty
    c. 1300, "particular affection; special attachment or favor, partiality," from Old French especialte, the more vernacular form of specialite (see speciality). Compare personalty/personality; realty/reality. It is attested by early 15c. as "unusual or extraordinary thing, peculiar
    pianoforte
    1767, from Italian, from piano e forte "soft and loud," in full, gravicembalo col piano e forte "harpsichord with soft and...
    loud
    Middle English, from Old English hlud "noisy; making or emitting noise" (of voices, musical instruments, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *hludaz "heard" (source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon hlud, Middle Dutch luut, Dutch luid, Old High German hlut, German laut "loud"), from PIE *
    strength
    Middle English strengthe, from Old English strengþu, strengð "property of being strong, bodily power, muscular force; vigor, firmness, fortitude, manhood; violence; moral resistance," from Proto-Germanic *strangitho (source also of Old High German strengida "strength"), from PIE
    speciality
    early 15c., "a distinctive quality or thing;" mid-15c. as "quality of being special," from Old French specialte, especialte "nature, special quality, particularity; special point, distinction," and directly from Latin specialitatem (nominative specialitas) "peculiarity, particula
    steel
    modified form of iron produced with a small portion of carbon, not found in nature but known in ancient times, Middle English stele, from Old English style "steel," from noun use of Proto-Germanic adjective *stakhlijan "made of steel" (source also of Old Saxon stehli, Old Norse,
    stele
    "ancient upright slab," usually inscribed or elaborately sculptured, 1820, from Greek stēlē "standing block, slab," especially one bearing an inscription, such as a gravestone or milestone. This probably is from PIE *stal-na-, suffixed form of root *stel- "to put, stand, put in o
    sleet
    c. 1300, slete, "precipitation of mingled snow and rain," probably from an unrecorded Old English *slete, *slyte, which is perhaps related to Middle High German sloz, Middle Low German sloten (plural) "hail," from Proto-Germanic *slautjan- (source also of dialectal Norwegian slut

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