"Sonata" (italian) means "sounded".  The term was applied to string
music in Rennaissance Era.  After, in the Baroque Era, the term was
applied to various chamber instrumental pieces, principally the solo ones;
the other pieces were:  toccata, fugue, suite and others.  In the 18th
century, the form of the first movement of the sonatas was named "sonata
form" because:  a) it hasn't a tradicional or characteristic name (dance,
march, song); b) it begins the sonata music.  The alternatives names may
be:  "allegro-sonata" or "tempo of the 1st movement of the sonata".

Edson Tadeu Ortolan
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