But “forte” is used to mean “strength”–which is historically pronounced “fort” after the military version. “Forte” in music is similar–it means “loud/strong/hard” as opposed to piano (“soft”), which is why the pianoforte [commonly known as a piano] is named for its ability to go from very soft to very loud.
Actually, "forte" isn't a gray area at all. It's an Italian word which means, "loud."
p.s.
Love your comics
Also, it's pronounced "for-tay"
But “forte” is used to mean “strength”–which is historically pronounced “fort” after the military version. “Forte” in music is similar–it means “loud/strong/hard” as opposed to piano (“soft”), which is why the pianoforte [commonly known as a piano] is named for its ability to go from very soft to very loud.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/forte