sotto voce

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Italian, literally "low voice".

Adjective

sotto voce (not comparable)

1. (of speech, of a voice, etc) In soft tones; quiet.
2. (music) soft (can be used of instruments other than the voice, such as pianos)

Quotations

• 1913, D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, chapter 5

  Then a man called for her, and began to make coarse jokes. But Mr. Pappleworth nodded his head in the direction of the boy, and the talk went on sotto voce.

• 1985 — Gary Russell, Divided Loyalties, p 38

  'Hello?' she shouted, but still her voice came out barely louder than a sotto voce whisper.

Adverb

sotto voce (not comparable)

1. (of speech, of a voice, etc) (speaking) quietly
2. (music) (spoken or played) softly (can be used of instruments other than the voice, such as pianos)

Translations

quietly (of speech)

• Russian: вполголоса (ru) (vpolgólosa) , тихо (ru) (tíxo) 

Noun

sotto voce

1. (music) A direction in a score that a passage in a piece should be played softly (or sung 'under the voice', when applied to vocal music).