Zhonghu
/ˈdʒʊŋˌhuː/noun
A Chinese bowed string instrument of the huqin family, tuned and voiced between the erhu and the lower-pitched instruments.
Did you know?The character 胡 originally referred to various non-Han peoples to China’s north and west, whose musical instruments helped inspire the huqin family name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
胡
“A term for various non-Han peoples, especially groups beyond China’s northern and western frontiers”
Tang Dynasty
Chinese
胡琴
““Hu fiddle,” a bowed instrument associated with musical traditions from outside the Chinese cultural heartland”
20th Century
Chinese
中胡
““Middle huqin,” a mid-register member of the huqin instrument family”
20th Century
Mandarin
zhōnghú
“The Mandarin pronunciation of 中胡”
Modern English
English
zhonghu
“An English loanword for the Chinese mid-register bowed fiddle”