Etymology Map
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Shamisen

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means a traditional Japanese three-stringed plucked lute

Where does the word "shamisen" come from? It comes from Japanese shamisen, adopted directly into English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
shamisen
Japanese · 16th century
"a three-stringed banjo-like instrument"
named a three-stringed plucked lute developed from an Okinawan instrument
2
Stage 2 of 2
shamisen
English · 1800s
"a traditional three-stringed Japanese lute"
borrowed by Western musicologists describing Japanese instruments
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