I have recently bought a Fylde Octavius mandola like this one:

Fylde octavius mandola

It is what is called an octave mandolin in America; often called an octave mandola here but I don't really like either name. Since the word mandolin means small mandola is seems silly to call it an octave mandolin which would mean 'big small mandola', but calling it an octave mandola is even worse because it definitely isn't an octave below a mandola, it's an octave below a mandolin.

I believe the strictly correct name is a tenor mandola because it's the tenor member of the mandola family but, if you say tenor mandola to most people here they think you mean the normal sized mandola (which is the alto member of the family - not the tenor).

So, even though I'm fairly certain that tenor mandola is the strictly correct name for it, I tend to call it an octave mandolin (and cringe when I say it) because at least people then know what to expect!

Anybody got any thoughts about this? I have done some research on this but not enough to be positive that I'm right!