Qanun
/kɑːˈnuːn/noun
A Middle Eastern plucked zither, or a system of law or rule in some Islamic contexts.
Did you know?Qānūn in Arabic became the standard word for a legal code or canon, but in many languages it also named the qanun instrument, a zither whose name ultimately goes back through Greek kanōn to a word meaning a measuring rod or rule.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kanṓn
“a straight rod, rule, standard, or norm”
Late Latin
Latin
canon
“a rule, standard, or ecclesiastical decree”
Arabic
Arabic
qānūn
“law, rule, code; later also the name of the zither”
Medieval Persian
Persian
qānūn
“law, regulation; also the instrument name in use across the Islamic world”
Modern English
English
qanun
“a plucked zither used in Middle Eastern and related musical traditions”