琵琶

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (琵琶)		琵	琶
simp. #(琵琶)		琵	琶
alternative forms		枇杷 批把 鼙婆

File:Бива.jpg

Pipa.

Etymology

Borrowed from a language in the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. Compare Persian بربط (barbat, “barbat; lute”), Ancient Greek βάρβιτος (bárbitos, “barbitos; ancient stringed instrument”).

Both characters were initially non-checked-tone characters. Reborrowed during the Tang Dynasty from a source that more closely resembles the modern Persian name of the instrument, both characters were read as if they have checked codas. The original non-checked readings were restored after the Tang Dynasty. Compare the modern checked-tone dialectal readings of 枇杷 (pípá).

Much folk etymology exists surrounding the name origin. The dictionary Shiming [2nd CE] explains the name as 批把 (“slap-grasp”), reflecting the plucking movements while playing the stringed instrument. 琵琶 is also cognate with—and possibly gave rise to the name of (due to the similarity in shape)—枇杷 (pípá, “loquat”), which is also a non-native species.

Noun

(deprecated template usage) 琵琶

1. (music) pipa (plucked Chinese string instrument)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (琵琶):

• → Japanese: 琵琶(びわ) (biwa)
• → Korean: 비파(琵琶) (bipa)
• → Vietnamese: tỳ bà (琵琶)

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
琵	琶
び Jinmeiyō	は > わ Jinmeiyō
on’yomi

Etymology

/bipa/ → /bifa/ → /biwa/

Borrowing from Middle Chinese 琵琶 (MC bjij bae). The sound change of /f/ → /w/ is unusual in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.

Noun

琵(び)琶(わ) • (biwa) ^{←びは (bifa)?}

1. biwa (plucked, fretted pear-shaped Japanese lute with four or, more rarely, five strings)

   Synonyms: 琵琶琴 (biwagoto); 琵琶の琴 (biwa no koto); 四弦, 四絃 (shigen); 四つの緒 (yotsu no o)

   Hyponyms: 筑前琵琶 (Chikuzen biwa), 薩摩琵琶 (Satsuma biwa), 平家琵琶 (Heike biwa)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 琵琶(びわ)合(あ)わせ, 琵琶(びわ)合(あわ)せ (biwa-awase)
• 琵琶(びわ)歌(うた) (biwauta)
• 琵琶打(びわう)ち (biwa-uchi)
• 琵琶(ビワ)貝(ガイ) (biwagai)
• 琵琶(びわ)形(がた)銅剣(どうけん) (biwa-gata dōken)
• 琵琶(ビワ)蟹(ガニ) (biwagani)
• 琵琶記(びわき) (Biwaki)
• 琵琶湖(びわこ) (Biwako)
• 琵琶(びわ)行(こう) (Biwakō)
• 琵琶(びわ)琴(ごと) (biwagoto)
• 琵琶(びわ)滝(だき) (Biwa-daki)
• 琵琶(びわ)の琴(こと) (biwa no koto)
• 琵琶(ビワ)羽(ハ)衣(ゴロモ) (biwa hagoromo)
• 琵琶(びわ)法師(ほうし) (biwa hōshi)
• 琵琶(ビワ)鱒(マス) (biwamasu)
• 楽(がく)琵琶(びわ) (gaku biwa)
• 五弦(ごげん)琵琶(びわ) (gogen biwa)
• 薩摩(さつま)琵琶(びわ) (Satsuma biwa)
• 筑前(ちくぜん)琵琶(びわ) (Chikuzen biwa)
• 筑紫(つくし)琵琶(びわ) (Tsukushi biwa)
• 錦(にしき)琵琶(びわ) (nishiki biwa)
• 平家(へいけ)琵琶(びわ) (Heike biwa)
• 盲僧(もうそう)琵琶(びわ) (mōsō biwa)

See also

• びやぼん (biyabon)
• 枇杷(ビワ) (biwa, “loquat”)
• 槽(そう) (sō)
• 弁才天(べんざいてん) (Benzaiten)

Proper noun

琵(び)琶(わ) • (Biwa) ^{←びは (bifa)?}

1. a place name

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Korean

Hanja in this term
琵	琶

Noun

琵琶 • (bipa) (hangeul 비파)

1. Hanja form^? of 비파 (“bipa, lute”).

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Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
琵	琶

Noun

琵琶

1. chữ Hán form of tỳ bà (“a plucked, fretted pear-shaped lute with four strings”).