Gamelan Music
/ˈɡæm.ə.læn ˈmjuː.zɪk/noun
Music performed by a Southeast Asian ensemble of gongs, metallophones, drums, and other instruments, especially in Java and Bali.
Did you know?In Java and Bali, gamelan can accompany temple ceremonies, dances, theater, and rituals, and some ensembles are treated with deep reverence rather than as ordinary instruments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Austronesian period
Austronesian
*gəməl
“Reconstructed root associated with handling or striking; the precise prehistory of gamelan remains debated.”
Classical Javanese
Javanese
gamel
“To strike, hit, or handle, especially in connection with striking instruments.”
Early modern period
Javanese
gamelan
“An ensemble of musical instruments, particularly a set of tuned gongs and metallophones.”
19th Century
Dutch/English
gamelan
“A Javanese or Balinese percussion ensemble encountered in colonial-era writing and musical description.”
Modern English
English
gamelan music
“Music performed by a gamelan ensemble, commonly associated with Indonesian court, theatrical, ceremonial, and community traditions.”
Ancient Greek to Latin
Greek/Latin
mousikē / musica
“The art of the Muses; the source of English music, added in the modern phrase to specify the ensemble’s musical tradition.”