Guqin
/ˈɡuːtʃɪn/noun
A seven-stringed Chinese zither traditionally played by scholars and literati.
Did you know?In traditional Chinese culture, mastery of the qin was one of the Four Arts of the scholar, alongside calligraphy, painting, and the strategy game weiqi.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
古 (*kˤaʔ)
“Ancient or old; the first element of the compound.”
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
琴 (*[g]əm)
“A stringed instrument, especially a zither; the precise deeper origin of this word is uncertain.”
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
古琴
“Literally “ancient zither,” distinguishing the instrument from other types of qin.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
古琴 (kuX gjəm)
“The classical seven-stringed zither known in elite musical and scholarly traditions.”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
古琴 (gǔqín)
“The traditional seven-stringed Chinese zither.”
Modern English
English
guqin
“An English loanword for the classical Chinese seven-stringed zither.”