cello
UK[ˈtʃeləʊ]US[ˈtʃeloʊ]
n
A large stringed instrument of the violin family, held between the knees and played with a bow.
Etymology
The word 'cello' is a 19th-century shortening of the full Italian term 'violoncello'. 'Violoncello' itself is a diminutive of 'violone', meaning "large viola," which derives from 'viola', the string instrument. The suffix '-oncello' is an Italian double diminutive, implying "a little large viola," a somewhat playful linguistic construction that reflects the instrument's size relative to others in the viol family. Thus, the modern term 'cello' is a clipped form that has lost its transparent morphological structure but retains its direct reference to the instrument.
Analysis
The word 'cello' is a loanword from Italian, a shortening of 'violoncello'. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The soloist performed a hauntingly beautiful concerto on her cello.
He has been practicing the cello for over ten years.
The deep, resonant sound of the cello filled the concert hall.