英语词汇spinet的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

spinet. Only in this century has spinet been used in the U.S. to describe a small, upright piano. Invented in about 1500 by Venetian musical instrument manufacturer Giovanni Spinetti, the spinet was at first similar to the clavichord. Having one key- board, one string to each note, and until the middle of the 18th century no attached legs, the small instrument had often been called the virginal. In England today spinet still designates all small keyboard instruments with one string to a note that are plucked by a quill or plectrum of leather. The spinet may also be named from the Italian spina, “a thorn,” in reference to the quill points on the instrument, the naming probably influenced by both Spinetti and spina. At any rate, the historical informa- tion available on the etymology is scanty. In fact, the only refer- ence to the inventor is found in a rare old book entitled Conclu- sione nel suona dell’organo, di Adriano Banchieri, published in Bologna in 1608. Its author states that: “Spinetta [the spinet] was thus named from the inventor of that oblong form, who was one Maestro Giovanni Spinetti, a Venetian; and I have seen one of those instruments . . . within which was the inscription— Joannes Spinetvs Venetvs fecit, a.d. 1503.”

词汇	spinet
词源	spinet. Only in this century has spinet been used in the U.S. to describe a small, upright piano. Invented in about 1500 by Venetian musical instrument manufacturer Giovanni Spinetti, the spinet was at first similar to the clavichord. Having one key- board, one string to each note, and until the middle of the 18th century no attached legs, the small instrument had often been called the virginal. In England today spinet still designates all small keyboard instruments with one string to a note that are plucked by a quill or plectrum of leather. The spinet may also be named from the Italian spina, “a thorn,” in reference to the quill points on the instrument, the naming probably influenced by both Spinetti and spina. At any rate, the historical informa- tion available on the etymology is scanty. In fact, the only refer- ence to the inventor is found in a rare old book entitled Conclu- sione nel suona dell’organo, di Adriano Banchieri, published in Bologna in 1608. Its author states that: “Spinetta [the spinet] was thus named from the inventor of that oblong form, who was one Maestro Giovanni Spinetti, a Venetian; and I have seen one of those instruments . . . within which was the inscription— Joannes Spinetvs Venetvs fecit, a.d. 1503.”
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