Editing Fiddle (section)

==Etymology==
The [[etymology]] of ''fiddle'' is uncertain: it probably derives from the Latin ''fidula'', which is the early word for ''violin'', or it may be natively Germanic.<ref>
{{cite OED |fiddle| access-date = 2008-03-28|quote=The ultimate origin is obscure. The {{bracket|[[Germanic languages|Teutonic]]}} word bears a singular resemblance in sound to its {{bracket|[[medieval]] [[Latin language|Latin]]}} synonym ''vitula'', ''vidula'', whence {{bracket|[[Old French]]}} ''viole'', Pr. viula, and (by adoption from these {{bracket|languages}}) {{bracket|[[Italian language|Italian]]}}, {{bracket|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]}}, {{bracket|[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]}} ''viola'': see {{bracket|''viol''}}. The supposition that the early {{bracket|[[Romance languages|Romance]]}} ''vidula'' was adopted independently in more than one {{bracket|Teutonic language}} would account adequately for all the {{bracket|Teutonic}} forms; on the other hand, ''*fiÞulôn-'' may be an {{bracket|[[Proto-Germanic|Old Teutonic]]}} word of native etymology, although no satisfactory {{bracket|Teutonic}} derivation has been found.}}
</ref>{{verify inline|reason="Teutonic" and "Old Teutonic" are not modern linguistic terms; online OED probably does not use them. Modern terminology is "Germanic" / "Proto-Germanic"|date=December 2024}}

The name appears to be related to Icelandic {{lang|is|[[fiðla]]}} and also [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|fiðele}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.ff.cuni.cz/cgi-bin/uaa_slovnik/gmc_search_v3?cmd=formquery2&query=fiddle&startrow=1 |title=Bosworth and Toller |website=Germanic Lexicon Project |access-date=2012-04-30 |archive-date=2013-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023060800/http://web.ff.cuni.cz/cgi-bin/uaa_slovnik/gmc_search_v3?cmd=formquery2&query=fiddle&startrow=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A native Germanic ancestor of ''fiddle'' might even be the ancestor of the early Romance form of ''violin''.<ref>[[Mario Pei]], ''The Story of the English Language'' (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967), p. 109.</ref>

In medieval times, ''fiddle'' also referred to a predecessor of today's violin. Like the violin, it tended to have four strings, but came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another family of instruments that contributed to the development of the modern fiddle are the [[viol]]s, which are held between the legs and played vertically, and have fretted fingerboards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/viol/hd_viol.htm|title=The Viol |publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art|last=Weinfield|first=Elizabeth|website=The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History|language=en|access-date=2018-04-09}}</ref>