tarantella

English

WOTD – 23 April 2006

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian tarantella, a diminutive of Taranto, a town in southern Italy (but popularly associated with tarantola (“tarantula”), on the belief that the dance was variously a result of, or cure for, its bite).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌtɛɹənˈtɛlə/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tæɹənˈtɛlə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlə

Noun

tarantella (plural tarantellas)

1. A rapid dance in 6/8 time, originating in Italy, or a piece of music for such a dance.
   • 1868–1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little Women: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:

     The set in which they found themselves was composed of English, and Amy was compelled to walk decorously through a cotillion, feeling all the while as if she could dance the tarantella with relish.

   • 1895, Bret Harte, The Devotion of Enriquez:

     "A tarantella, I presume?" blandly suggested the doctor.
     Miss Mannersley stopped, and rose carelessly from the piano. "It is a Moorish gypsy song of the fifteenth century," she said dryly.

   • 1922, Walter Lippmann, “chapter v”, in Public Opinion:

     We learn to understand why our addled minds seize so little with precision, why they are caught up and tossed about in a kind of tarantella by headlines and catch-words, why so often they cannot tell things apart or discern identity in apparent differences.

Related terms

• tarantism

Translations

rapid dance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 塔朗泰拉 (Tǎlǎngtàilā), 塔蘭苔拉／塔兰苔拉 (Tǎlántáilā)

• Finnish: tarantella (fi)
• French: tarentelle (fr) f
• Italian: tarantella (it)
• Russian: тарантелла (ru) f (tarantella)

See also

• tarantula

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑrɑntelːɑ/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝rɑ̝n̪ˌt̪e̞lːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -elːɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): ta‧ran‧tel‧la

Etymology 1

Form of taranteli, folk-etymologically associated with tarantella (etymology 2); probably also by influence from English tarantula.

Noun

tarantella

1. Alternative form of taranteli (“tarantula wolf spider, Lycosa tarantula”).
2. (colloquial) Synonym of lintuhämähäkki.

Declension

Inflection of tarantella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		tarantella	tarantellat
genitive		tarantellan	tarantellojen
partitive		tarantellaa	tarantelloja
illative		tarantellaan	tarantelloihin
		singular	plural
nominative		tarantella	tarantellat
accusative	nom.	tarantella	tarantellat
	gen.	tarantellan
genitive		tarantellan	tarantellojen tarantellain rare
partitive		tarantellaa	tarantelloja
inessive		tarantellassa	tarantelloissa
elative		tarantellasta	tarantelloista
illative		tarantellaan	tarantelloihin
adessive		tarantellalla	tarantelloilla
ablative		tarantellalta	tarantelloilta
allative		tarantellalle	tarantelloille
essive		tarantellana	tarantelloina
translative		tarantellaksi	tarantelloiksi
abessive		tarantellatta	tarantelloitta
instructive		—	tarantelloin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of tarantella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tarantellani tarantellani accusative nom. tarantellani tarantellani gen. tarantellani genitive tarantellani tarantellojeni tarantellaini rare partitive tarantellaani tarantellojani inessive tarantellassani tarantelloissani elative tarantellastani tarantelloistani illative tarantellaani tarantelloihini adessive tarantellallani tarantelloillani ablative tarantellaltani tarantelloiltani allative tarantellalleni tarantelloilleni essive tarantellanani tarantelloinani translative tarantellakseni tarantelloikseni abessive tarantellattani tarantelloittani instructive — — comitative — tarantelloineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tarantellasi tarantellasi accusative nom. tarantellasi tarantellasi gen. tarantellasi genitive tarantellasi tarantellojesi tarantellaisi rare partitive tarantellaasi tarantellojasi inessive tarantellassasi tarantelloissasi elative tarantellastasi tarantelloistasi illative tarantellaasi tarantelloihisi adessive tarantellallasi tarantelloillasi ablative tarantellaltasi tarantelloiltasi allative tarantellallesi tarantelloillesi essive tarantellanasi tarantelloinasi translative tarantellaksesi tarantelloiksesi abessive tarantellattasi tarantelloittasi instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tarantellamme tarantellamme accusative nom. tarantellamme tarantellamme gen. tarantellamme genitive tarantellamme tarantellojemme tarantellaimme rare partitive tarantellaamme tarantellojamme inessive tarantellassamme tarantelloissamme elative tarantellastamme tarantelloistamme illative tarantellaamme tarantelloihimme adessive tarantellallamme tarantelloillamme ablative tarantellaltamme tarantelloiltamme allative tarantellallemme tarantelloillemme essive tarantellanamme tarantelloinamme translative tarantellaksemme tarantelloiksemme abessive tarantellattamme tarantelloittamme instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tarantellanne tarantellanne accusative nom. tarantellanne tarantellanne gen. tarantellanne genitive tarantellanne tarantellojenne tarantellainne rare partitive tarantellaanne tarantellojanne inessive tarantellassanne tarantelloissanne elative tarantellastanne tarantelloistanne illative tarantellaanne tarantelloihinne adessive tarantellallanne tarantelloillanne ablative tarantellaltanne tarantelloiltanne allative tarantellallenne tarantelloillenne essive tarantellananne tarantelloinanne translative tarantellaksenne tarantelloiksenne abessive tarantellattanne tarantelloittanne instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative tarantellansa tarantellansa accusative nom. tarantellansa tarantellansa gen. tarantellansa genitive tarantellansa tarantellojensa tarantellainsa rare partitive tarantellaansa tarantellojaan tarantellojansa inessive tarantellassaan tarantellassansa tarantelloissaan tarantelloissansa elative tarantellastaan tarantellastansa tarantelloistaan tarantelloistansa illative tarantellaansa tarantelloihinsa adessive tarantellallaan tarantellallansa tarantelloillaan tarantelloillansa ablative tarantellaltaan tarantellaltansa tarantelloiltaan tarantelloiltansa allative tarantellalleen tarantellallensa tarantelloilleen tarantelloillensa essive tarantellanaan tarantellanansa tarantelloinaan tarantelloinansa translative tarantellakseen tarantellaksensa tarantelloikseen tarantelloiksensa abessive tarantellattaan tarantellattansa tarantelloittaan tarantelloittansa instructive — — comitative — tarantelloineen tarantelloinensa

Etymology 2

From Italian tarantella.

Noun

tarantella

1. tarantella (rapid dance of Italian origin)

Declension

Inflection of tarantella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		tarantella	tarantellat
genitive		tarantellan	tarantellojen
partitive		tarantellaa	tarantelloja
illative		tarantellaan	tarantelloihin
		singular	plural
nominative		tarantella	tarantellat
accusative	nom.	tarantella	tarantellat
	gen.	tarantellan
genitive		tarantellan	tarantellojen tarantellain rare
partitive		tarantellaa	tarantelloja
inessive		tarantellassa	tarantelloissa
elative		tarantellasta	tarantelloista
illative		tarantellaan	tarantelloihin
adessive		tarantellalla	tarantelloilla
ablative		tarantellalta	tarantelloilta
allative		tarantellalle	tarantelloille
essive		tarantellana	tarantelloina
translative		tarantellaksi	tarantelloiksi
abessive		tarantellatta	tarantelloitta
instructive		—	tarantelloin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of tarantella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tarantellani tarantellani accusative nom. tarantellani tarantellani gen. tarantellani genitive tarantellani tarantellojeni tarantellaini rare partitive tarantellaani tarantellojani inessive tarantellassani tarantelloissani elative tarantellastani tarantelloistani illative tarantellaani tarantelloihini adessive tarantellallani tarantelloillani ablative tarantellaltani tarantelloiltani allative tarantellalleni tarantelloilleni essive tarantellanani tarantelloinani translative tarantellakseni tarantelloikseni abessive tarantellattani tarantelloittani instructive — — comitative — tarantelloineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tarantellasi tarantellasi accusative nom. tarantellasi tarantellasi gen. tarantellasi genitive tarantellasi tarantellojesi tarantellaisi rare partitive tarantellaasi tarantellojasi inessive tarantellassasi tarantelloissasi elative tarantellastasi tarantelloistasi illative tarantellaasi tarantelloihisi adessive tarantellallasi tarantelloillasi ablative tarantellaltasi tarantelloiltasi allative tarantellallesi tarantelloillesi essive tarantellanasi tarantelloinasi translative tarantellaksesi tarantelloiksesi abessive tarantellattasi tarantelloittasi instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tarantellamme tarantellamme accusative nom. tarantellamme tarantellamme gen. tarantellamme genitive tarantellamme tarantellojemme tarantellaimme rare partitive tarantellaamme tarantellojamme inessive tarantellassamme tarantelloissamme elative tarantellastamme tarantelloistamme illative tarantellaamme tarantelloihimme adessive tarantellallamme tarantelloillamme ablative tarantellaltamme tarantelloiltamme allative tarantellallemme tarantelloillemme essive tarantellanamme tarantelloinamme translative tarantellaksemme tarantelloiksemme abessive tarantellattamme tarantelloittamme instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tarantellanne tarantellanne accusative nom. tarantellanne tarantellanne gen. tarantellanne genitive tarantellanne tarantellojenne tarantellainne rare partitive tarantellaanne tarantellojanne inessive tarantellassanne tarantelloissanne elative tarantellastanne tarantelloistanne illative tarantellaanne tarantelloihinne adessive tarantellallanne tarantelloillanne ablative tarantellaltanne tarantelloiltanne allative tarantellallenne tarantelloillenne essive tarantellananne tarantelloinanne translative tarantellaksenne tarantelloiksenne abessive tarantellattanne tarantelloittanne instructive — — comitative — tarantelloinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative tarantellansa tarantellansa accusative nom. tarantellansa tarantellansa gen. tarantellansa genitive tarantellansa tarantellojensa tarantellainsa rare partitive tarantellaansa tarantellojaan tarantellojansa inessive tarantellassaan tarantellassansa tarantelloissaan tarantelloissansa elative tarantellastaan tarantellastansa tarantelloistaan tarantelloistansa illative tarantellaansa tarantelloihinsa adessive tarantellallaan tarantellallansa tarantelloillaan tarantelloillansa ablative tarantellaltaan tarantellaltansa tarantelloiltaan tarantelloiltansa allative tarantellalleen tarantellallensa tarantelloilleen tarantelloillensa essive tarantellanaan tarantellanansa tarantelloinaan tarantelloinansa translative tarantellakseen tarantellaksensa tarantelloikseen tarantelloiksensa abessive tarantellattaan tarantellattansa tarantelloittaan tarantelloittansa instructive — — comitative — tarantelloineen tarantelloinensa

Further reading

• “tarantella”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2024-01-01

Italian

Etymology

Diminutive of Taranto, a town in southern Italy (but popularly associated with tarantola (“tarantula”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ta.ranˈtɛl.la/
• Rhymes: -ɛlla
• Hyphenation: ta‧ran‧tèl‧la

Noun

tarantella f (plural tarantelle)

1. tarantella

Anagrams

• allattarne, rallentata