A small key-like structure or a very small keyboard instrument.
From Latin clavis (key) + -ola, a diminutive suffix. This rare term compounds the Latin root with an Italian-influenced diminutive ending, suggesting Renaissance musical nomenclature.
Renaissance composers and instrument makers used Italian diminutive suffixes (-ola, -ino) constantly, creating names for instruments that were smaller, lighter, or variations on existing ones. Many of these names have vanished with the instruments themselves.
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