Koto
/ˈkoʊ.toʊ/noun
A long Japanese zither with movable bridges, traditionally used in court and classical music.
Did you know?Koto is an established Japanese loanword in English; its history is musical and courtly, not occult, but it became globally recognizable as a symbol of refined, ritualized sound.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Jpn
こと / 琴
“A zither-like stringed instrument used in court music”
Classical Japanese
Jpn
こと
“The same court instrument, especially in elite musical contexts”
19th Century
Eng
koto
“Borrowed into English as the name of the Japanese instrument”
Modern English
Eng
koto
“A Japanese plucked zither with movable bridges”