| 单词 | timpani |
| 例句 | timpani plural nounUSAGE timpani, tympani In modern print sources, the spelling timpani is more common than tympani by a 5-to-1 ratio. The latter ought to be rejected as a variant spelling. British English writers solve the problem by using the term kettledrum. (Another synonym, rarely used, is timbal.) The word timpani —though borrowed into English as the plural form of the Italian singular timpano —has become interchangeably singular or plural. Most commonly the word is plural—e.g.: “The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra has been awarded a $14,110 grant by the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation for a set of four new timpani.” ( Rocky Mountain News [Denver]; Oct. 3, 1996.) But it's often singular as well. Even professional musicians commonly refer to a timpani, not a timpano —e.g.: “[It is an opera] house where Mozart's double-bass or timpani is heard as clearly as the soprano.” ( New York Times; July 11, 1994.) The phrase timpani drum is a redundancy—e.g.: • “The pit. .. is made up of 14 people on xylophones, marimbas, chimes, gongs, tympani drums [read timpani or kettledrums ], glockenspiels, bells, triangles, tambourines and more.” ( Boston Globe; Aug. 17, 1994.) • “A timpani drum [read timpani or kettledrum ], its head torn,. .. was serving as a trash can.” ( Florida Times-Union; Aug. 28, 1996.).Usage notes show additional guidance on finer points of English usage. |
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