Jew's harp
A musical instrument consisting of a thin flexible reed mounted in a stiff crescent frameA musical instrument consisting of a thin flexible reed mounted in a stiff crescent frame. The narrow end of the frame is held between the teeth and the reed is plucked to produce a note of constant pitch. Melodies and overtones are created by changing the shape of the oral cavity.
Meaning
1 sensesA musical instrument consisting of a thin flexible reed mounted in a stiff crescent frame. The narrow end of the frame is held between the teeth and the reed is plucked to produce a note of constant pitch. Melodies and overtones are created by changing the shape of the oral cavity.
Maultrommel, Mundtrommel, Maulgeige
варга́нvargán, хомусxomus
дримбаdrymba, варґа́нvargán
a small lyre-shaped musical instrument that is placed between the teeth and played by twanging a wire tongue while changing the shape of the mouth cavity
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
The word harp is often applied to a wide variety of instruments in English, including manyThe word harp is often applied to a wide variety of instruments in English, including many (such as this one) that are not "harps" in the most specific sense. The origin of Jew's is uncertain: it is widely accepted that the instrument has no musicological or etymological connection with Jews and the word was capitalized due to the mistaken belief in a connection. Some have connected it to the Cleveland dialectal gew-gaw, related to the Old Norse giga, compare modern Swedish giga, Danish gige, German Geige (“fiddle”). Others have suggested a connection with jaws, the synonym jaw harp may have therefore come first. Other theories point to French jeu-trompe (literally “toy-trumpet”), compare Jew's-trump.
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Forms
plural: Jew's harps| Singular | Jew's harp |
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| Plural | Jew's harps |
regular
Synonyms
7 synonyms- a small lyre-shaped musical instrument that is placed between the teeth and played by twanging a wire tongue while changing the shape of the mouth cavity:jews' harpmouth bow