morendo
|mo-ren-do|
🇺🇸
/moʊˈrɛndoʊ/
🇬🇧
/mɔːˈrɛndəʊ/
dying away
Etymology
'morendo' originates from Italian, specifically the gerund form 'morendo', where the gerund is formed from the verb 'morire' (to die), ultimately tracing back to Latin 'mori' meaning 'to die'.
'morendo' changed from the Latin word 'mori' into the Italian verb 'morire' and then into the Italian gerund 'morendo', which was borrowed into English musical terminology.
Initially, it meant 'dying' in the literal sense, but over time in musical contexts it evolved into the specific instruction 'dying away' (a fading of sound and often tempo).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle (Italian) of 'morire' meaning 'dying'.
In Italian, morendo literally means 'dying' (the gerund form of morire).
Synonyms
Adverb 1
a musical direction meaning 'dying away' — becoming gradually softer and often slower until the sound fades.
The final phrase should be played morendo to convey a sense of fading away.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/01 20:16