Theviolinisabowedstringinstrumentwithfourstringstunedinperfectfifths.Itisthesmallestandhighest-pitchedmemberoftheviolinfamilyofstringinstruments,whichalsoincludestheviolaandcello.

　　Aviolinissometimesinformallycalledafiddle,nomatterwhatkindofmusicisplayedonit.Theword"violin"comestousthroughtheRomancelanguagesfromtheMiddleLatinwordvitula,meaning"stringedinstrument";thiswordmayalsobethesourceoftheGermanic"fiddle".

　　Apersonwhoplaysthevioliniscalledaviolinistorfiddler,andapersonwhomakesorrepairsthemiscalledaluthier,orsimplyaviolinmaker.

　　ThemodernEuropeanviolinevolvedfromvariousbowedstringedinstrumentswhichwerebroughtfromtheMiddleEast.Mostlikelythefirstmakersofviolinsborrowedfromthreetypesofcurrentinstruments:therebec,inusesincethe10thcentury(itselfderivedfromtheArabicrebab),theRenaissancefiddle,andtheliradabraccio.Oneoftheearliestexplicitdescriptionsoftheinstrument,includingitstuning,wasintheEpitomemusicalbyJambedeFer,publishedinLyonin1556.Bythistime,theviolinhadalreadybeguntospreadthroughoutEurope.