Hurdy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or characteristic of a mechanical stringed instrument that produces sound by a hand-cranked wheel rubbing against the strings ; relating to a specific type of musical apparatus used in traditional folk music ; describing an object or concept connected with the peculiar mechanism involving continuous bowing by a rotating wheel
2. Associated with a unique musical instrument where strings are vibrated by a circular wheel turned by hand ; linked to a certain folk instrument producing drone and melody simultaneously ; connected to a mechanical device used in ancient music-making traditions
3. Relating to a hand-operated instrument that creates sound through a rosined wheel acting on strings ; denoting an element of old-style string instruments known for continuous drone ; descriptive of the mechanical principles behind a specific type of folk musical device

Etymology: "Hurdy" is the first half of "hurdy-gurdy," and it has no meaning of its own. The compound belongs to a family of rhyming, echoing pairs in English, like "helter-skelter" and "higgledy-piggledy," where the repeated sound carries the idea. Here the echo imitates the instrument's noise: a drone that buzzes and rasps under the melody. The instrument itself is much older than the name. Its medieval ancestor, the organistrum, was played by two people, one turning a crank and one pressing keys on the neck, and it was used in church settings. Later, it became a folk instrument associated with street musicians and wandering performers. The English name arrived with the instrument's later popularity, but the exact date and the first recorded use are uncertain, so the sound-based formation is the most reliable thing to say about it.

Synonyms: hurdy-gurdy