bandora
|ban-do-ra|
/bænˈdɔːrə/
Renaissance plucked bass instrument
Etymology
'bandora' likely originates from early modern English/Italian usage, related to the word 'bandore' (Middle English) and Italian 'bandora'; it may be connected to Spanish 'bandurria' or similar Romance terms for plucked instruments.
'bandora' appears in Middle English as 'bandore' and in early modern musical sources; the spelling and form shifted to 'bandora' in some English and continental accounts of Renaissance instruments.
Initially, the term referred generally to certain plucked string instruments used for accompaniment; over time it became associated specifically with the large Renaissance bass instrument known today as the bandora.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a large plucked string instrument of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, used as a bass or accompaniment instrument (commonly played in England in the 16th–17th centuries).
The consort's continuo part was reinforced by a bandora that provided a deep, resonant plucked tone.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/10 20:02