basso profundo
1
9.5
- noun
- /ˈbɑːsoʊ prʊnˈdoʊ/
- Specialized
:
bajo profundo
- "Mr. Renko," she rumbled, in a basso profundo voice lower than any umpellatag's, "I am the minister for justice for my government."
- basso profundo voice
- rumbling basso profundo
Examples
-
"He laughed again, his hearty basso profundo unsettling the papers on the desk.
Fiction book (1996) -
Their speech, at least when conversing with humans, was generated somewhere within their torsos and emerged as a flat basso profundo monotone.
Fiction book (1999) -
His voice, naturally, was basso profundo.
Fiction book (1991) -
He puts the needle down on a record and begins to sing along in a bellowing basso profundo.
Fiction book (1991) -
No one says, "Hey lyric soprano, make me feel better; hey basso profundo, help me understand societal problems."
Academic text (2007) -
His features became enormous, everything growing at an accelerated pace, and, with his basso profundo voice thrown in, my son could be quite terrifying to encounter.
Fiction book (1997) -
It spoke in a basso profundo from a noselike bump rising from where its navel would've been, if it had a navel.
Fiction book (1999) -
His basso profundo voice resonated in the concert hall, captivating the audience.
-
The singer was renowned for his stunning basso profundo, which could be heard from miles away.
-
When he sang in his basso profundo, it felt like the very walls were vibrating.
Synonyms
89
4.9
A low male singing voice in a choir or opera
1
3.1
A low male singing voice that sounds deep and rich
1
8.0
An adult man who sings in the lowest voice, often in opera or choir
How Low
Surface Forms
Morphology
basso + profundo
The meaning 'a very deep bass voice' is directly compositional from 'basso' (low/male bass singer) + 'profundo' (deep), so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE's meaning. The pattern is cross-linguistically supported by Italian/Spanish cognates (profondo/profundo) and is a straightforward music-register compound, making it transparent; note that the form is a borrowing and may be unknown to some learners, but given knowledge of the parts it is fully predictable.
Etymology
Basso profundo comes from Italian words basso, meaning 'low', and profundo, meaning 'deep', so the phrase paints the picture of a very low, powerful voice. It was used in opera and choirs for men who sing the lowest notes, so today it means 'a very deep bass male singing voice'.