Jew's harp en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
The 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.
Meanings
-
A 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.
“Because I recognized their sentinel when I glanced out of my window. He is a harmless enough fellow, Parker by name, a garroter by trade, and a remarkable performer upon the jew’s-harp.
1903 September 26, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Empty House”, in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., published February 1905, →OCLC:The lad, his son, had obtained a Jew's-harp, and learned to play upon it the profane airs of "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," "St. Patrick's Day," and "Auld Lang Syne."
1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 70:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jew's harps | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Hyponyms
plucked idiophone · lamellophone
Relateds
kouxian · dan moi · morsing · kubing
Synonyms
Jew's-trump and trump · guimbarde · mouth organ · mouth harp · Judaic harp
Translations (102)
ca guimbarda (musical instrument) · wlo ore-ore mbondu (musical instrument) · cs brumle (musical instrument) · eu musugitarra (musical instrument) · scn jancalarruni (musical instrument) · lv vargāns (musical instrument) · ca arpa de boca (musical instrument) · mn аман хуур (musical instrument) · dsb brumejza (musical instrument) · sv mungiga (musical instrument) · es torompe (musical instrument) · sk drumbľa (musical instrument) · de Brummeisen (musical instrument) · et parmupill (musical instrument) · vo mudatrum (musical instrument) · es guimbarda (musical instrument) · itb kolibau (musical instrument) · fi suuharppu (musical instrument) · fr guimbarde (musical instrument) · ru хомус (musical instrument) · unm tëlëmp (musical instrument) · tyv хомус (musical instrument) · fi märistysrauta (musical instrument) · kne dawwiling (musical instrument) · bg дръмбой (musical instrument) · kne kupilan (musical instrument) · is munntromma (musical instrument) · fr campurgne (musical instrument) · sh brunda (musical instrument) · is kjálkaharpa (musical instrument) · de Maultrommel (musical instrument) · is gyðingaharpa (musical instrument) · wlo ore Ngkale (musical instrument) · ta மோர்சிங் (musical instrument) · plv aroding (musical instrument) · scn gangalarruni (musical instrument) · kne abillaw (musical instrument) · sv munharpa (musical instrument) · hu doromb (musical instrument) · sh дромбуља (musical instrument) · de Judenharfe (musical instrument) · cmn 口簧琴 (musical instrument) · de Maulgeige (musical instrument) · scn marranzanu (musical instrument) · pl drumla (musical instrument) · ko 주즈하프 (musical instrument) · lt dambrelis (musical instrument) · alt комус (musical instrument) · co riberbula (musical instrument) · uk варґа́н (musical instrument) · lew yori (musical instrument) · ro drâmbă (musical instrument) · cmn 口弦 (musical instrument) · es arpa de boca (musical instrument) · nap marranzano (musical instrument) · sl dromlja (musical instrument) · vi đàn môi (musical instrument) · cy sturmant (musical instrument) · kk шаңқобыз (musical instrument) · unz yori (musical instrument) · tr ağız kopuzu (musical instrument) · da jødeharpe (musical instrument) · nb munnharpe (musical instrument) · haw ʻukeke (musical instrument) · af trompie (musical instrument) · ja 口琴 (musical instrument) · pt berimbau de boca (musical instrument) · uk дримба (musical instrument) · de Mundtrommel (musical instrument) · ga trumpa (musical instrument) · ru варга́н (musical instrument) · tl birimbaw (musical instrument) · da mundharpe (musical instrument) · tay lubuw (musical instrument) · mrw kobing (musical instrument) · kn ಮೋರ್ಸಿಂಗ್ (musical instrument) · plw aroding (musical instrument) · pt harpa de boca (musical instrument) · tay lubux (musical instrument) · sah хомус (musical instrument) · es birimbao (musical instrument) · he נבל פה (musical instrument) · kne abistung (musical instrument) · mww rab ncas (musical instrument) · yka kulaing (musical instrument) · nl mondharp (musical instrument) · sh drombulja (musical instrument) · sh брунда (musical instrument) · fi munniharppu (musical instrument) · gl trompa (musical instrument) · gl berimbau (musical instrument) · mk дромбула (musical instrument) · nn munnharpe (musical instrument) · mdh kubing (musical instrument) · ba ҡумыҙ (musical instrument) · it scacciapensieri (musical instrument) · mn хэл хуур (musical instrument) · plc aroding (musical instrument) · sda karombi (musical instrument) · fa زنبورک (musical instrument) · pox brącai̯kə (musical instrument) · kzf yori (musical instrument)