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一弦琴 (いちげんきん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

一いち弦げん琴きん

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Meanings

1

single-stringed Japanese zither

A traditional Japanese instrument with a single string, played with a plectrum or finger picks.

一いち弦げん琴きんは、江え戸ど時じ代だいに流りゅう行こうした楽がっ器きです。
The single-stringed zither is an instrument that was popular in the Edo period.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
弦bowstring, chord, hypotenuse
琴harp, koto
絃string, cord, samisen music

Related words

琴こと
琴 is a general term for Japanese zithers, typically with 13 strings, while 一弦琴 specifically has only one string.
二に弦げん琴きん
二弦琴 is a two-stringed zither, contrasting with the single-stringed 一弦琴.

Written forms

一いち弦げん琴きん
Standard kanji spelling.
一いち絃げん琴きん
Variant using 絃 (string) instead of 弦; both are used for musical instrument strings.

Etymology

Compound of 一 (one), 弦 (string), and 琴 (zither). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term directly describes the instrument's single string.