balaphon
|ba-la-phon|
🇺🇸
/ˌbæləˈfoʊn/
🇬🇧
/ˌbæləˈfɒn/
West African wooden xylophone
Etymology
'balaphon' originates from a Mande language of West Africa (for example Mandinka or Bambara), specifically the word 'balafon', which was borrowed into European languages and then into English.
'balaphon' passed into French and other European languages as 'balafon' or 'balaphone' in the 19th century and was adopted into English in similar forms ('balafon', 'balaphone', 'balaphon').
Initially, it referred to the traditional West African wooden keyed instrument; that core meaning has been retained into modern usage as the name of that instrument.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a West African percussion instrument similar to a wooden xylophone, consisting of tuned wooden bars placed over resonators (often calabashes) and played with mallets.
The musician played a balaphon during the village ceremony.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/04 08:10