How did the Italian word sonare influence the musical term sonata?
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The musical term sonata is derived from the past participle of the Italian verb sonare, which means "to sound."12
Historically, this etymology served to distinguish instrumental music from vocal music. The term was originally used to denote a composition intended to be played on instruments, in direct contrast to a cantataâa term derived from the Italian cantare ("to sing")âwhich referred to a composition intended to be sung by voices.13