Where does “biwa” come from?

biwa (English) comes from Japanese 琵琶, from Middle Chinese 琵琶.

biwa (English): A plucked lute, originating in the classical and...

Definitions

  1. A plucked lute, originating in the classical and...

Ancestry of “biwa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese琵琶biwa
2Middle Chinese琵琶—
Every word from Middle Chinese 琵琶 →Every word from Japanese 琵琶 →
biwa — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer