Etymology

a cappella

Today it means: A vocal performance with no instrumental accompaniment. Full definition →

First used late 19th c.Italian a cappella
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The story

  1. Italian · borrowed froma cappella“in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel”
  2. English todaya cappella

Borrowed from Italian a cappella (“in the manner of the [Sistine] chapel”), referring to non-instrumental choirs.

First known use, by meaning

  • from late 19th c. In the manner of a choir with no instrumental accompaniment.
  • First attested in the late 19th century. Singing solely or mainly without instrumental accompaniment.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.