Swar
/swɑːr/noun
A musical note or tonal syllable in Indian classical music.
Did you know?Swar comes from Sanskrit svara, a term connected with sound and pitch; in Indian musical theory, each swar is traditionally understood through its tonal relationship rather than as an isolated note.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swer-
“To speak, make a sound, or resound”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
svará
“Sound, tone, musical pitch”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
svara
“A musical note or tonal sound”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Prakrits
sara/svara
“Tone or musical sound”
Modern period
Hindi
svar
“A musical note; a tonal syllable”
Modern English
English
swar
“A note in Indian classical music”