solo
/ˈsəʊləʊ/·솔로·noun
a piece or performance by a single person; alone
LatinCEFR B1
Root
Italian 'solo' (alone), from Latin 'solus' (alone)
Latin solus (alone) → Italian solo (used in music) → English solo (1690s, via Italian opera)
In a word
Latin solus = 'alone'. The word entered English through Italian music vocabulary. The sol family unfolds 'aloneness' — solo (played alone), solitary (alone), solely (only), sole (the only one), isolate (to make into an island = to separate). The moment a single violin holds the stage, the word still pronounces the Latin 'alone' directly.
Examples
She sang a solo at the concert.
He flew solo across the Atlantic.
The guitarist played a long solo.
Related
soloistsolelysolesolitaryisolate