Tabla
/ˈtɑːblə/noun
A pair of small hand drums used in South Asian classical and popular music.
Did you know?Tabla is generally traced to Arabic ṭabl, meaning “drum,” the same root behind several drum names across the Islamic world, showing how a single word can migrate with sound and power.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic (early medieval)
Arabic
ṭabl
“drum”
Medieval Persian
Persian
tabl
“drum”
18th Century
Hindi/Urdu
tablā
“a drum, especially the paired hand drums”
Modern English
English
tabla
“the North Indian paired drum instrument”