Shō
/ɕoː/noun
A Japanese mouth organ made of multiple bamboo pipes, traditionally used in gagaku court music.
Did you know?The shō’s clustered bamboo pipes are traditionally associated with the mythical hōō, or phoenix, making its sound symbolically connected with celestial harmony.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Old Chinese
笙
“An ancient mouth organ or reed instrument; the exact earliest pronunciation is reconstructed with some uncertainty.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
生／笙 (sraeng or similar reconstructed forms)
“A reed mouth organ used in Chinese musical traditions.”
Tang–Heian periods
Sino-Japanese
shō
“The Chinese instrument name adopted into Japanese court culture.”
8th Century
Japanese
笙 (shō)
“A mouth organ used in gagaku, the ceremonial music of the Japanese imperial court.”
Modern English
English
shō
“A Japanese free-reed mouth organ, commonly discussed in writing about traditional Japanese music.”