alto

See also: alto-

English

Etymology

Borrowing from Italian alto ‎(“high”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.təʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.toʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æltəʊ

Noun

alto ‎(plural altos)

An alto saxophone

1. A musical part or section higher than tenor and lower than soprano, formerly the part that performed a countermelody above the tenor or main melody.
2. A person or musical instrument that performs the alto part.

Usage notes

• Nouns often modified by "alto": saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, part, solo, voice, singer.

Synonyms

• (musical part or section): contratenor altus, high countertenor

Coordinate terms

• (music) SATB (Initialism of soprano, alto, tenor, bass.)

Translations

musical part

• Armenian: ալտ (hy) ‎(alt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 中音 (zh) ‎(zhōngyīn)

• Czech: alt (cs) m
• Dutch: alt (nl)
• Finnish: altto (fi)
• French: alto (fr) m

• German: Alt (de) m
• Irish: alt m, cuach f
• Japanese: アルト ‎(aruto)
• Portuguese: contralto (pt) m
• Russian: альт (ru) m ‎(alʹt)
• Spanish: alto (es) m, f, contralto m, f
• Swedish: alt (sv) c

person or instrument

• Armenian: ալտ (hy) ‎(alt)
• Czech: alt (cs) m
• Dutch: alt (nl)
• Finnish: altto (fi)
• German: Alt (de) m
• Hawaiian: (person): leo wahine, (instrument): ʻaeko

• Italian: contralto (it) m
• Japanese: アルト ‎(aruto)
• Portuguese: contralto (pt) m
• Russian: альт (ru) m ‎(alʹt)
• Swedish: alt (sv) c
• Vietnamese: (person): người hát giọng nữ trầm, (instrument): đàn antô, kèn antô

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} алт ‎(alt)
• French: ^{(please verify)} alto (fr)

• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} alt (hu)
• Slovene: ^{(please verify)} alt (sl) m
• Vietnamese: (?) ^{(please verify)} bè antô (vi)

External links

• Alto on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• a lot, alot, ATOL, lota, tola

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Asturian

Adjective

alto n sg

1. neuter singular of altu

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French

Wikipedia ^fr

alto

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

alto m ‎(plural altos)

1. (music) alto
2. (music) viola

External links

• “alto” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Galician

Etymology

From Old Portuguese alto, from Latin altus. Cf. also the archaic form outo.

Adjective

alto m (feminine singular alta, masculine plural altos, feminine plural altas)

1. tall

Antonyms

• (high): baixo

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin altus ‎(“high”), ultimately of Proto-Indo-European [Term?] origin.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

alto m ‎(feminine singular alta, masculine plural alti, feminine plural alte)

1. high, tall
2. deep

   uno stagno alto 4 metri - a pond 4 meters deep

3. loud

   ad alta voce - in a loud voice

Antonyms

• basso

Related terms

• altare
• altamente
• altezza
• altimetro
• altisonante
• altitonante
• altitudine

• Alto Adige
• altocumulo
• altolocato
• altopiano
• altostrato
• Alto Volta

Descendants

• German: Alt

Anagrams

• lato
• talo

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Ladino

Etymology

From Latin altus.

Adjective

alto m ‎(Latin spelling)

1. high

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.toː/, [ˈaɫ.toː]

Etymology 1

From altus ‎(“high, deep”) +‎ -ō.

Verb

altō ‎(present infinitive altāre); first conjugation, no perfect

1. I make high, raise, elevate.

Inflection

Conjugation of alto (first conjugation, defective)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	altō	altās	altat	altāmus	altātis	altant
	imperfect	altābam	altābās	altābat	altābāmus	altābātis	altābant
	future	altābō	altābis	altābit	altābimus	altābitis	altābunt
passive	present	altor	altāris, altāre	altātur	altāmur	altāminī	altantur
	imperfect	altābar	altābāris, altābāre	altābātur	altābāmur	altābāminī	altābantur
	future	altābor	altāberis, altābere	altābitur	altābimur	altābiminī	altābuntur
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	altem	altēs	altet	altēmus	altētis	altent
	imperfect	altārem	altārēs	altāret	altārēmus	altārētis	altārent
passive	present	alter	altēris, altēre	altētur	altēmur	altēminī	altentur
	imperfect	altārer	altārēris, altārēre	altārētur	altārēmur	altārēminī	altārentur
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	altā	—	—	altāte	—
	future	—	altātō	altātō	—	altātōte	altantō
passive	present	—	altāre	—	—	altāminī	—
	future	—	altātor	altātor	—	—	altantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		altāre	—	—	altārī	—	—
participles		altāns	—	—	—	—	altandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		nominative	genitive	dative/ablative	accusative	accusative	ablative
		altāre	altandī	altandō	altandum	—	—

Etymology 2

Non-lemma forms.

Participle

altō

1. inflection of altus:
   1. dative masculine singular
   2. dative neuter singular
   3. ablative masculine singular
   4. ablative neuter singular

References

• alto in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• ALTO in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• alto in Félix Gaffiot (1934), Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) the tide is coming in: aestus ex alto se incitat (B. G. 3.12)
    
  • (ambiguous) the storm drives some one on an unknown coast: procella (tempestas) aliquem ex alto ad ignotas terras (oras) defert
    
  • (ambiguous) to make fast boats to anchors: naves (classem) constituere (in alto)
    

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈaɫ.tu/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw.tu/
  • Homophone: auto
• Rhymes: -awtu

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese alto, from Latin altus, ultimately of Proto-Indo-European [Term?] origin.

Adjective

alto m ‎(feminine singular alta, masculine plural altos, feminine plural altas, comparable)

1. loud
2. tall
3. high
4. (informal) excessive, extreme

Inflection

Inflection of alto

	singular		plural
	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
positive	alto	alta	altos	altas
comparative	mais alto	mais alta	mais altos	mais altas
superlative	o mais alto altíssimo	a mais alta altíssima	os mais altos altíssimos	as mais altas altíssimas
augmentative	altão	altona	altões	altonas
diminutive	altinho	altinha	altinhos	altinhas

Adverb

alto (comparative mais alto superlative o mais alto)

1. loud; loudly
   • 2003, Lya Wyler (translator), J. K. Rowling (English author), Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fênix (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), Rocco, page 445:

     Não fale tão alto...

     Don't speak so loud...

Descendants

• Kabuverdianu: altu

Etymology 2

From the imperative of German halten.

Interjection

alto!

1. halt!

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Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalto/

Etymology 1

From Latin altus, ultimately of Proto-Indo-European [Term?] origin. Cf. also the archaic form oto, preserved in some toponyms, and its derivative otar.

Adjective

alto m ‎(feminine singular alta, masculine plural altos, feminine plural altas)

1. tall

   Esas chicas son altas. - Those girls are tall.

2. high

   Es un número alto. - It's a high number.

3. loud

   En voz alta. - Out loud.

Related terms

• altura
• altísimo

Antonyms

• bajo - short

Etymology 2

From Germanic halt.

Noun

alto m ‎(plural altos)

1. stop
2. break, pause, rest
3. (traffic) stop (signal)
4. (traffic) red light

Antonyms

• (red light): siga

Derived terms

• hacer un alto
• marcar el alto

Related terms

• parada
• detener
• detenerse

Interjection

¡alto!

1. stop!