Etymology

konghou

kong·hou
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Today it means: A plucked stringed instrument (chordophone) with a harp-like construction, originating in ancient Chinese music as a horizontal instrument but now made to be played vertically, and with strings that are double to allow for techniques like vibrato. Full definition →

Mandarin 箜篌
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The story

  1. Mandarin · borrowed from箜篌
  2. English todaykonghou

From Mandarin 箜篌 (kōnghóu), from the name of this instrument in the local language of the region of Central Asia whence it came to China; the Sogdian name for the angular harp was [script needed] (cngryʾ /⁠čangaryā⁠/), [script needed] (cyngryʾ /⁠čingaryā⁠/), which derives perhaps from Turkic čingar.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.