Pipa
/ˈpiː.pə/noun
A Chinese four-stringed, pear-shaped lute played with a plectrum or the fingers.
Did you know?Although the modern pipa is strongly associated with China, its pear-shaped lute form developed through cultural exchange along the Silk Road, especially from Central Asian instruments.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese tradition
Old Chinese
琵琶
“The characters designate a plucked string instrument; later tradition associated them with forward and backward plucking motions.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
pʰiˠe-bˠæ
“A name for a pear-shaped, fretted lute used in Chinese musical culture.”
Tang Dynasty
Chinese
pípá
“A prominent court and popular instrument, shaped by Central Asian musical influences.”
17th–19th Centuries
European descriptions
pipa / pi-pa
“Transliterations used by Western writers describing the Chinese lute.”
19th Century
English
pipa
“An English loanword for the Chinese pear-shaped lute.”
Modern English
English
pipa
“A Chinese four-stringed lute used in traditional, contemporary, and fusion music.”