Meanings
plural qanuns · alternative canon · alternative canun · alternative kanoon · alternative kanon · alternative kanun · alternative qanon · alternative qanoon · alternative ganoun
- entertainmentA Near Eastern and Caucasian musical instrument related to the zither, dulcimer, or harp having either 26 strings and a single bridge, or 42 strings and two bridges.
WISPS of mournful tunes from a cane flute mingled with the plucking, jangling arabesques of the zitherlike qanun, the oud and gentle drums.
2009 June 21, Daniel J. Wakin, “Ensemble Ambitions in a World Divided”, in New York Times
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Ancient Greekκανών
- Arabicقَانُون
- Ottoman Turkishقانون
- Turkishkanun
- Englishqanun
From Turkish kanun, from Ottoman Turkish قانون (kanun), from Arabic قَانُون (qānūn), from Ancient Greek κανών (kanṓn). Doublet of canon.
More words from Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قَانُون
- قَانُون (qānūn)musical instrument
Greek κανονάκι
- κανονάκι (kanonáki)musical instrument
Hindi क़ानून
- क़ानून (qānūn)musical instrument
Japanese カーヌーン
- カーヌーン (kānūn)musical instrument
Russian кано́н
- кано́н (kanón)musical instrument
Turkish kanun
- kanunmusical instrument
Cite this entry
qanun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qanun
“qanun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qanun. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “qanun,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qanun.
Source: qanun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.