h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, not all of them were guesses.

So why do we have to talk musical directions in Italian?

Congrats!

Great question, that. Why do we use Italian? Actually, there are terms in other languages, but the Italian ones seem to be the lingua franca these days...

When I was learning to play 19th-century Romantics on the piano, all the musical directions were in German...you'd get really weird instructions for playing, like 'innig'. Fortunately, my Swedish teacher knew German, and could wax quite enthusiastic explaining these musical 'feelings'.

Here's a short glossary: http://www.boosey.com/community/musicalterms.asp?GL=GR

Just think: if you said, 'Play staccato', most musicians around the world would know what you meant. But if you said 'abgestossen', even a German speaker might look at you oddly.

Here's a list from Mahler's works:

http://www.orchestralibrary.com/reftables/mahler2gloss.html

And now I had to read up why we use the term 'lingua franca'

Apparently this was the agreed way of referring to this common language of commerce and diplomacy. Except by the British, who called it Bastard Spanish.

And - without looking it up - can you name the plural of 'lingua franca'?

Wow, wild guess...linguae francae?

Linguas franca, apparently, but I'll have to check the OED to be sure.

Well, I'm glad I did check, as you're right and I'm wrong.

The alternatives are lingua francas, linguae francae, and lingue franche.

Ooh, I like lingue franche...