Xylophone
/ˈzaɪ.lə.foʊn/noun
A percussion instrument with tuned wooden bars struck by mallets.
Did you know?Xylophone is a modern scholarly coinage from Greek roots, joining xýlon (“wood”) and phōnḗ (“sound, voice”)—the same ancient sound-root that echoes through dozens of English words tied to voice and phone.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
xýlon
“wood; a piece of wood”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phōnḗ
“sound; voice; utterance”
19th Century
French/English
xylophone
“a musical instrument with wooden bars struck to produce notes”
Modern English
English
xylophone
“a percussion instrument with tuned wooden bars struck by mallets”