Raaga
/ˈrɑː.ɡə/noun
A melodic framework in Indian classical music, defined by specific notes, phrases, and mood.
Did you know?In Indian classical tradition, a raaga is treated as something far more alive than a tune: it’s a structured melodic form meant to evoke a precise emotional atmosphere, and in later poetic lore raagas were even imagined as living beings.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit (ancient)
Sanskrit
राग (rāga)
“Color, tint, passion, desire, attachment.”
Classical Sanskrit music theory
Sanskrit
राग (rāga)
“A melodic mode or musical framework, especially one associated with emotion and aesthetic color.”
Medieval Indian languages
Prakrit/Regional
rāga / rāg
“A musical mode or melodic type in vernacular musical traditions.”
19th-20th Century
English
raga
“A South Asian melodic framework in classical music.”
Modern English
English
raaga
“A common alternative spelling of raga, especially in transliteration and popular usage.”