Gaku
/ˈɡɑː.kuː/noun
A style of Japanese court music, especially the instrumental music performed at the imperial court.
Did you know?Gaku is part of gagaku, Japan’s ancient court-music tradition, whose surviving repertoire preserves ceremonial forms introduced from China and Korea more than a millennium ago.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, c. 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
樂 (*rˤawk)
“Music, especially music used in ritual; also pleasure or enjoyment”
Middle Chinese, c. 6th–10th century
Middle Chinese
樂 (lak)
“Music or pleasure; the character had distinct readings for related meanings”
Asuka–Nara period, 6th–8th century
Japanese
gaku (樂)
“Sino-Japanese reading meaning music, particularly imported and courtly musical traditions”
Heian period, 8th–12th century
Japanese
gagaku (雅樂)
““Elegant music,” the formal court-music tradition of the Japanese imperial court”
Modern English, 20th century
English
gaku
“An English loanword for Japanese court music, especially music associated with gagaku”