Yangqin
/ˈjɑːŋ.tʃɪn/noun
A Chinese hammered dulcimer with trapezoidal strings struck by small bamboo beaters.
Did you know?The yangqin is generally associated with the Persian santur, reflecting centuries of musical exchange along trade routes linking Central Asia, Persia, and China.
Etymological Timeline
Ming Dynasty, 16th–17th Century
Chinese
洋琴
““Foreign qin”; a foreign stringed instrument, referring to the instrument’s imported origins”
Late Imperial China
Chinese
yángqín
“The name used for the hammered dulcimer that became established in Chinese musical practice”
19th Century
English
yang-k'in
“An English transliteration for the Chinese hammered dulcimer”
20th Century
English
yangqin
“Standardized modern romanization for the Chinese hammered dulcimer”