The most part these names are derived from latin and medieval practic
to write the old scores.  These names in medieval music designates only
male voices.  The medieval church's choir was formed by children, boys and
men.  The high voice written in the upper of the page was named "superior"
(simply "upper" in latin) and became "soprano" in italian.  And so on.
The term "contra-" reinforces up or low the following word: contralto,
contrabass, ecc.  But the terms in history confounded us because medieval,
renaissancist and baroque theoreticals aren't accurate.

Edson Tadeu Ortolan <[log in to unmask]>