Withenay’s Wednesday Word: cremona

Welcome to Withenay’s Wednesday Word: a wandering, wondering dip into the dictionary. The topics are always varied and rarely predictable!

cremona (?)
erroneous form of cromona
(also, if capitalised, the name of superior violins and stringed instruments made at Cremona in Italy, including by Stradivari)
from ?

I’ve had a day when I have enjoyed my wonder through the dictionary. I came upon the word cremona, to read that it and cremorne are erroneous forms of cromorna.

So, of course, I look up cromorna.

cromorna or cromorne (noun)
a krummhorn; a krummhorn stop
from German Krummhorn

Now I scratch my head some more. I’m guessing that a krummhorn is some sort of musical instrument (based solely on the word ‘horn’). There is further logic, in that if it is erroneously confused with Cremona instruments then it may well have some musical association.

So, of course, I look up krummhorn.

krummhorn, krumhorn or crumhorn (noun)
an old double-reed wind instrument with a curved end; an organ reed-stop
German, curved horn

I have a moderate amount of musical knowledge, but the krummhorn is not an instrument I have heard of. Then again, there are many peculiar wind instruments that lurk about in the mists of time and inventor’s garages waiting for their moment. Given this has allowed an organ stop to be named after it I guess it has a unique sound, and has done for many years!

So, of course, I google an image. Here it is…