Where does “drum machine” come from?
drum machine (English) comes from English drum, from English drumslade, from Middle Dutch trommelslach, from Middle Dutch slach, from Old Dutch slag, from Proto-West Germanic slagi, from Swedish slagg, from Low German slagge — to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...
drum machine (English): An electronic musical instrument that can be programmed to create percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns
Definitions
- An electronic musical instrument that can be programmed to create percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns
Ancestry of “drum machine”, step by step
drum machine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drum | A percussive musical instrument spanned with a... |
| 2 | English | drumslade | A drum; A drummer |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | trommelslach | drumbeat |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | slach | beat |
| 5 | Old Dutch | slag | setback, misfortune |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | slagi | blow, strike |
| 7 | Swedish | slagg | slag metallurgical waste material |
| 8 | Low German | slagge | — |
| 9 | Middle Low German | slagge | — |
| 10 | Middle Low German | slān | to hit, strike |
| 11 | Old Saxon | slāhan | to hit |
| 12 | Proto-West Germanic | slahan | to hit, to strike; to kill |
| 13 | Proto-Germanic | slahaną | to hit, to strike; to kill |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | slak- | to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,... |
via English machine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | machine | A device that directs and controls energy, often... |
| 2 | Middle French | machine | machine; device |
| 3 | Latin | māchina | contrivance |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μαχανά | Doric form of μηχᾰνή |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μηχανή | contrivance, machine, device, gear; way, means |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μῆχος | means, expedient, remedy |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵʰ- | to be able |