Erhu
/ˈɜːr.huː/noun
A Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument with a small resonating body.
Did you know?The character 胡 originally referred broadly to peoples living beyond ancient China’s northern and western frontiers, rather than to one specific ethnic group.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
二
“Two”
Ancient Chinese
Old Chinese
胡
“A term for northern or western foreign peoples, later used in names for associated instruments”
Tang Dynasty
Middle Chinese
胡琴
““Hu fiddle,” an umbrella term for bowed string instruments associated with non-Han regions”
19th Century
Chinese
二胡
““Two Hu,” distinguishing the instrument by its two strings”
20th Century
English
erhu
“A modern English borrowing for the Chinese two-stringed fiddle”