What does sextette mean?
A sextette is a group of six people, most commonly six musicians performing together. It can also mean a piece of music arranged for six performers, such as a string sextette or a vocal sextette. The word is closely related to sextet, which is the more frequently used modern spelling, while sextette retains a somewhat traditional or formal character. In general contexts, sextette can simply refer to any set of six people, although musical usage is its strongest established association. The term comes ultimately from the Latin sex, meaning six, and reflects the long English convention of forming group names and musical ensemble labels by adding a suffix to the numeral.
nounA group of six people or things, especially six musicians performing together. The term may also refer to a musical composition written for six performers.
- A group of six people, especially musicians performing together.
- A musical composition or arrangement for six performers.
"The sextette gave a lively performance of chamber music at the festival."
"The sextette consists of two violinists, a violist, a cellist, a clarinetist, and a pianist."
"She wrote a sextette for strings and premiered it with the chamber ensemble."
The plural is sextettes when referring to multiple groups or ensembles.
"The festival featured sextettes from several conservatories."
The word sextette turns the simple idea of six into a musical ensemble, from the Latin root for six.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sextette come from?
Sextette derives from French sextette, which was formed from the Latin sex, meaning six, together with an instrumental suffix. English borrowed the word in the nineteenth century for groups of six, especially musical performers. Its cognate sextet reflects the same Latin numerical root, as do forms such as sextuple and sextant.
How sextette is actually used
Sextette is somewhat traditional and formal; sextet is more common in contemporary English. The word is especially associated with musical groups, though it can refer more generally to any group of six.
Easily confused with sextette
Both words mean a group of six or a composition for six performers; sextette is the traditional spelling, while sextet is the more common modern spelling in many varieties of English.