アンダンテ

1904 is an early Japanese point for アンダンテ: Seisenban Nihon Kokugo Daijiten cites Chuto Kyoiku Kyokayo Gakuten. The source is Italian andante, the present participle of andare, “to go.” In music, the Italian word became a tempo mark connected with a walking pace. Japanese adopted アンダンテ through Meiji-period Western music education, along with アレグレット, アダージョ, モデラート, and アンダンティーノ. The dictionary definition places it between allegretto and adagio. In classrooms, scores, and music textbooks, the word became a technical label for moderate movement rather than a normal verb-related expression. Modern Japanese uses アンダンテ almost only in music, song titles, product names, or poetic titles. Italian andante has other meanings too, including “current,” “ordinary,” or “in progress,” as Treccani records, but those uses did not become Japanese meanings. English andante is also mainly musical. Example: 第2楽章はアンダンテです.