Tama
/ˈtɑː.mə/noun
A small West African talking drum played with a curved stick and traditionally held under the arm.
Did you know?Because its pitch can be bent by squeezing the drum’s cords, the tama can imitate the tonal patterns of spoken language and has been called a “talking drum.”
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial West Africa
Wolof
tama
“A small talking drum; the term is associated especially with Wolof musical culture.”
18th–19th Century
West African languages
tama
“A regulated-pitch drum used for musical performance, signaling, and the imitation of speech.”
19th Century
French
tama
“A West African talking drum, recorded through colonial descriptions of regional instruments.”
20th Century
English
tama
“A borrowed name for the West African talking drum.”
Modern English
English
tama
“A small, hourglass-shaped drum whose pitch is altered by pressure on its tension cords.”