Part 2 #5. Part 2 #4a. Part 2 #4. Part 2. Part 1 #3. American Historical Association. Violin. A young violinist The violin is sometimes informally called a fiddle, regardless of the type of music played on it.
The word violin comes from the Medieval Latin word vitula, meaning stringed instrument;[1] this word is also believed to be the source of the Germanic "fiddle".[2] The violin, while it has ancient origins, acquired most of its modern characteristics in 16th-century Italy, with some further modifications occurring in the 18th and 19th centuries. Violinists and collectors particularly prize the instruments made by the Gasparo da Salò, Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati families from the 16th to the 18th century in Brescia and Cremona and by Jacob Stainer in Austria. A person who makes or repairs violins is called a luthier. History[edit] Part 1 #1.