🌏 Region(s): Ryukyu (Okinawa), Honshu (Standard)
さんしん【三線】 : sanshin | define meaning
sanshin
Pronunciation: [san̩ɕiŋ̍]
Definition
Noun
- A traditional Ryukyuan three-stringed musical instrument, typically covered in snakeskin and played with a plectrum. Sanshin.
Etymology
The term さんしん【三線】 sanshin originates from an adaptation of the Chinese three-stringed instrument called the sānxián 【三弦】. The Okinawan sanshin also gave rise to the similar Japanese instrument, しゃみせん【三味線】 shamisen, sometimes called さみせん samisen.
Historical Ryukyuan attestations
- Vocabulary of the language spoken at the Great Loo-Choo Island, in the Japan Sea (1818), by Herbert John Clifford, records "Harp. San'gshing".
Spelling
| Orthography | Form |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 三線 |
| Kana | さんしん |
| Romanization | sanshin |
| Pronunciation (IPA) | [san̩ɕiŋ̍] |
意味：さんしん【三線】、じゃびせん【蛇皮線】、じゃみせん【蛇三線】
Categories:
三線
Cite this entry: Read, Zachary. (2026, January 4). さんしん【三線】 : sanshin | define meaning. JLect: Japonic Languages and Dialects Database. Retrieved 2026, January 7, from https://www.jlect.com/entry/102/sanshin/.