Sa
/sɑː/noun
The first and tonic note of the seven-note scale in Indian classical music.
Did you know?“Sa” is shortened from Sanskrit ṣaḍja, traditionally explained as “six-born,” although scholars debate the precise musical reasoning behind that name.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swéḱs
“six”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ṣaṣ
“six”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ṣaḍja
“six-born; the first note of the musical scale”
Medieval Indian Music
Sanskrit
ṣaḍja
“the tonic or fundamental pitch from which the scale is organized”
Modern English
English
sa
“the first note, or tonic, in Indian classical music”