Etymology

viol

V4I1O1L1

Today it means: A stringed instrument related to the violin family, but held in the lap between the legs like a cello, usually with C-holes, a flat back, a fretted neck and six strings, played with an underhanded bow hold. Full definition →

Middle French viole ← Old French viol ← Old Occitan viola
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The story

  1. Medieval Latin · derived fromvitula“stringed instrument”
  2. Old Occitan · derived fromviola
  3. Old French · derived fromviol
  4. Middle French · borrowed fromviole
  5. English todayviol

Borrowed from Middle French viole, from Old French viol, from Old Occitan viola (modern Occitan viula), from Medieval Latin vitula (“stringed instrument”). Doublet of viola.

Words from the same roots

Old Occitanviola all →

viola

Medieval Latinvitula all →

viola

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.