Etymology

vibraphone

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Today it means: A percussion instrument with a double row of tuned metal bars, each above a tubular resonator containing a motor-driven rotating vane, giving a vibrato effect. Full definition →

Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ) ← Proto-Hellenic *pʰōnā́ ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-
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The story

  1. Englishvibra(to)
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰōnā́
  4. Ancient Greekφωνή (phōnḗ)
  5. English todayvibraphone

From vibra(to) + -phone.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.