琵琶

Etymology

Borrowed from a language in the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. Compare Persian بربط‎ (barbat, “barbat; lute”), Ancient Greek βάρβιτος (bárbitos, “barbitos; ancient stringed instrument”).

Both characters were initially non-checked-tone characters. Reborrowed during the Tang Dynasty from a source that more closely resembles the modern Persian name of the instrument, both characters were read as if they have checked codas. The original non-checked readings were restored after the Tang Dynasty. Compare the modern checked-tone dialectal readings of 枇杷 (pípá).

Much folk etymology exists surrounding the name origin. The dictionary Shiming [2nd CE] explains the name as 批把 (“slap-grasp”), reflecting the plucking movements while playing the stringed instrument. 琵琶 is also cognate with—and possibly gave rise to the name of (due to the similarity in shape)—枇杷 (pípá, “loquat”), which is also a non-native species.

Pronunciation

Noun

琵琶

1. (music) pipa (plucked Chinese string instrument)

Descendants

Etymology

/bipa/ → /bifa/ → /biwa/

Borrowing from Middle Chinese 琵琶 (MC biɪ bˠa).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) ひ​わ [híꜜwà] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
  • IPA^(key): [çiɰᵝa̠]

Noun

琵琶 (hiragana びわ, rōmaji biwa, historical hiragana びは)

1. biwa (plucked, fretted pear-shaped Japanese lute with four or, more rarely, five strings)

   Synonyms: 琵琶琴 (biwagoto), 琵琶の琴 (biwa no koto), 四弦, 四絃 (shigen), 四つの緒 (yotsu no o)

   Hyponyms: 筑前琵琶 (Chikuzen biwa), 薩摩琵琶 (Satsuma biwa), 平家琵琶 (Heike biwa)

Proper noun

琵琶 (hiragana びわ, rōmaji Biwa, historical hiragana びは)

1. a place name
2. a surname

References

Noun

琵琶 • (bipa) (hangeul 비파)

1. Hanja form^? of 비파 (“bipa, lute”).

Noun

琵琶

1. Hán tự form of tỳ bà, “a plucked, fretted pear-shaped lute with four strings”