Italian for 'a stop,' from Latin 'firmus' (firm) — in music, holding a note beyond its written value; kin to 'affirm' and 'farm.'
A musical notation symbol (𝄐) indicating that a note or rest should be held longer than its normal duration, at the performer's discretion.
From Italian 'fermata' (a stop, a halt, a pause), the feminine past participle of 'fermare' (to stop, to halt, to hold firm), from Latin 'firmāre' (to make firm, to strengthen, to confirm), from 'firmus' (firm, strong, stable). The conceptual link is that a fermata 'firms up' or 'holds firm' a note — stopping the normal flow of time and holding the sound in place. The same Latin root produced English 'firm,' 'affirm,' 'confirm,' 'infirm,' 'fermata,' 'farm' (originally a fixed payment, then the land for which a fixed rent was paid), and 'firmware.'
In Italian, 'fermata' means 'stop' — and it is the standard word for a bus stop or train stop. If you see 'fermata dell'autobus' in Italy, it means 'bus stop,' not a musical notation. The word 'farm' is also a cousin: English 'farm' comes from Old French 'ferme' (a fixed payment), from Medieval Latin 'firma' (a fixed rent), from Latin 'firmāre' (to make firm — i.e., to fix an amount). A 'farm' was originally the fixed rent you paid, then the land you paid rent for, then any agricultural
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