English
glass harp
Glass harp comes from English Glas ‘glass’.
- English1500–presentGlas‘glass’
- Englishearliest quotation 1969glass harp
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- English1500–presentGlas‘glass’
- Englishearliest quotation 1969glass harp
Earliest quotation: 1969, Glass harmonica: “A newer glass instrument is the glass harp [G[erman]…”
The story
Possibly a calque of German Glasharfe, from Glas (‘glass’) + Harfe (‘harp’) (see the 1969 quotation).
Every English word from English Glas
Today it means
noun A musical instrument consisting of glasses (typically wine glasses) tuned by putting different amounts of liquid into them. Sound is produced by rubbing one's fingers around the rims of the glasses, causing them to vibrate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / English Glas / glass harp