Where did pianoforte come from?

Answer 1

Before the piano was invented, there were harpsichords. These were incredibly touch sensitive, but since the strings were plucked they did not have much variation in dynamics i.e. no matter how hard you pressed the keys, it would still make just as loud a noise. When the piano was invented, there was a much greater range in dynamics as the strings were hit. So, it got given the name pianoforte, piano meaning quiet and forte meaning loud to show its dynamic range.