Mandolin
/ˌmæn.dəˈlɪn/noun
A small stringed musical instrument with a rounded body and usually eight strings in four courses.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Italian diminutives of mandola, a lute-like instrument named for its resemblance to the almond, so even its name carries a botanical image of shape and form.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀμυγδάλη (amygdálē)
“almond”
Late Latin
Latin
amygdala
“almond”
Medieval Italian
Italian
mandola
“a lute-like stringed instrument; also connected with the almond-shaped form”
17th Century
Italian
mandolino
“little mandola”
18th Century
French/English
mandoline / mandolin
“the small plucked string instrument”
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