Mouth Organ
/ˈmaʊθ ˌɔːrɡən/noun
A small wind instrument played by blowing and drawing air through free reeds, commonly called a harmonica.
Did you know?The word “organ” began as an ancient Greek term for a tool or instrument, then became associated with the body’s organs because they were understood as functional instruments of the body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*werg-
“To do or work; the reconstructed root behind words connected with action and function.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄργανον (organon)
“A tool, implement, instrument, or—in some contexts—a bodily organ.”
Latin
Latin
organum
“An instrument or tool; later also a musical instrument.”
Middle English
English
organ
“An instrument, especially a musical instrument, and a part of the body with a specific function.”
19th Century
English
mouth-organ
“A wind instrument played directly with the mouth; an early English name for the harmonica.”
Modern English
English
mouth organ
“A harmonica, a compact free-reed wind instrument.”