@Mouse 

Just some history and the origin of the cello...

The term cello is actually an abbreviation of the full name violoncello.  This is an Italian term.

The word when broken up (violone or violin, meaning big viola) is somewhat confusing.  Back in the 15th century, there was a family of stringed instruments called viols that were somewhat larger and deeper than the viola.  But these went out of style before the louder violin family of instruments came into greater favor.  

In modern symphony the violoncello, which contains both the augmentative "-one" ("big") and the diminutive "-cello" ("little").  Little, because the double bass is now the largest string instrument in the orchestra.  So the terminology came about, and survived, because of the instruments popularity and what has become considered the orchestral stringed family of instruments today.

It used to be written 'cello with the apostrophe indicating that the violone had been dropped from the name. It is now customary to use the term "cello" without the apostrophe as the full designation.

Those Chinese style stringed instruments are a whole different animal, clearly.  Although they are similar... played with a bow and have 4 strings like the western cellos.  And I have no idea how they are tuned (C, G, D, A or some other tuning)

But the term violoncello is already taken.  It is the very instrument you play.

cid said
Yep, knew the violoncello part, but not the history. I see “violoncello” on sheet music a lot for the cello part. I like “cello” better. Not as much of a mouthful. 

Everyone likes cello better... I'm sure that's how it came to be.

Double bass will never replace my cello. 

I'm sure it won't.  It can't.  It's a completely different tuning.

Hey, if my violin and viola get together, will I have a voila!

By get together, do you mean procreate?  And is this a genetics joke?  LOL!

Actually, I heard about the violoncello from my previous cello instructor. She asked which violoncello I brought. I told her that I didn’t bring one of those. I told her I brought my cello. She thought I was joking and laughed. Then I asked her what a violoncello was. 😁 And, I said violin/cello, not violoncello above. I had forgotten aboutnthat violoncello term.

That is way funny!!!  And I did notice the terminology you used.  It was just so similar to violoncello that I had to look up the terminology.  And have you seen those stupid pics on the internet with people attempting to play a violin or viola in the position a cello is played in?  Ridiculous.  

Hey, maybe that was a violoncello that was put through the hot cycle of the dryer. I have a lot of experience doing that.

Don't put your instruments in the dryer.  It can't be good for them.  Shrinkage would be the least of your problems.  And I doubt you could fit a cello in a dryer anyway.  LOL!!