Tambura
/tæmˈbʊə.rə/noun
A long-necked lute found in parts of South Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East, used to provide melodic or drone accompaniment.
Did you know?The word’s deep history likely runs through Persian and Arabic routes, showing how musical terms can migrate across trade, conquest, and court culture long before modern borders existed.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Persian
Middle Persian
tambūr
“a lute or stringed instrument”
Classical Persian
Persian
tanbūr
“a long-necked lute”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
طنبور (ṭunbūr)
“a lute or similar stringed instrument”
Medieval Balkan / South Asian
Various
tambura / tanpura
“regional forms of a lute or drone instrument”
Modern English
English
tambura
“a long-necked lute or related folk instrument”
Explore more surprising origins