banjo

See also: Banjo, banjô, and banjō

English

A bluegrass banjo

Etymology

From the pronunciation of African slaves, of unknown ultimate origin. Possibly a corruption of bandore, alternatively from a West African language such as Mandinka banjul, or Kimbundu mbanza.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: băn'jō, IPA^(key): /ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈbæn.d͡ʒoʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

banjo (plural banjos or banjoes)

1. A stringed musical instrument (chordophone), usually with a round body, a membrane-like soundboard and a fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.

   I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee...

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:banjo.
2. Any of various similar musical instruments, such as the Tuvan doshpuluur, with a membrane-like soundboard.
3. (slang) An object shaped like a banjo, especially a frying pan or a shovel.
4. (UK, Dagenham) A cul-de-sac with a round end.
   • 1963, Peter Willmott, The Evolution of a Community, page 75:

     They all came back here — we cleared the room and put up tables for the reception — and then we went to another house on the banjo for a "knees-up".

   • 2013, M. C. Dutton, The Godfathers of London:

     Billy Tower lived in the far left house in the banjo that was Dagenham's version of cul de sacs. The trouble was you could be seen from the house and, in the time it took to walk along the Banjo, drugs could be flushed away.

   • 2013, Martin Crookston, Garden Suburbs of Tomorrow?:

     The banjo format is not an unalloyed success these days: kids playing noisily on the quite narrow common green […]

5. (mining) A miner's round-nosed shovel.

Derived terms

• banjitar
• banjo bolt
• banjo catfish
• banjo clock
• banjo dulcimer
• banjo enclosure
• Banjo Eyes
• banjo eyes, banjo-eyes, banjo-eyed
• banjo fitting
• banjo frog
• banjo hit
• banjo hitter
• banjoist
• banjolike
• banjo-mandolin, banjo mandolin, banjolin, mandolin-banjo
• banjo string
• banjouke
• banjo ukelele
• banjo ukulele, banjolele, banjo uke
• banjo union
• dulcijo
• eastern banjo frog
• egg banjo
• four-string banjo
• giant banjo frog
• guitjo
• Irish banjo
• not hit a cow's arse with a banjo
• play the cat and banjo with
• southern banjo frog
• tenor banjo

 

Descendants

• → Esperanto: banĝo
• → Irish: bainseo
• → Japanese: バンジョー
• → Macedonian: бенџо (bendžo)
• → Mongolian: банжо (banžo)
• → Russian: банджо (bandžo)
• → Thai: แบนโจ (bɛɛn-joo)
• → Welsh: banjô
• → Yiddish: באַנדזשאָ (bandzho)

Translations

a musical instrument

• Afrikaans: banjo
• Arabic: بَانْجُو m (bānjū)
• Armenian: բանջո (hy) (banǰo)
• Basque: banjo
• Belarusian: ба́нджа n (bándža)
• Breton: banjo (br) m
• Bulgarian: ба́нджо n (bándžo)
• Catalan: banjo (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 班卓琴 (zh) (bānzhuōqín)

• Czech: banjo n, bendžo n
• Danish: banjo
• Dutch: banjo (nl) m
• Esperanto: banĝo
• Estonian: bändžo
• Faroese: banjo f
• Finnish: banjo (fi)
• French: banjo (fr) m
• Georgian: ბანჯო (banǯo)
• German: Banjo (de) n
• Greek: μπάντζο (el) n (bántzo)
• Greenlandic: banjo
• Hebrew: בַּנג'וֹ (he)
• Hindi: बैंजो (baiñjo)
• Hungarian: bendzsó (hu)
• Irish: bainseo m
• Italian: bangio (it) m, banjo (it) m
• Japanese: バンジョー (ja) (banjō)
• Korean: 밴조 (baenjo)
• Latvian: bandžo
• Lisu: ꓞꓲꓺ ꓐꓶꓺ (tsʰɨ̱ bɯ̱), ꓛꓲꓺ ꓐꓶꓺ (tʃʰi̱ bɯ̱)
• Lithuanian: bandža f
• Macedonian: бенџо n (bendžo)
• Malay: banjo
• Maori: pātura, pakakū
• Mongolian: банжо (mn) (banžo)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: banjo (no) m

  Nynorsk: banjo m

• Persian: بانجو (fa) (bânjo)
• Polish: banjo (pl) n, bandżo n
• Portuguese: banjo (pt) m
• Russian: ба́нджо (ru) n (bándžo)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: бенџо n

  Roman: bendžo (sh) n

• Slovak: bendžo n
• Slovene: bendžo m
• Spanish: banjo m, banyo (es) m
• Swahili: banjo, zeze la kizungu
• Swedish: banjo (sv) c
• Thai: แบนโจ (bɛɛn-joo)
• Turkish: banjo (tr)
• Ukrainian: ба́нджо (uk) n (bándžo)
• Vietnamese: đàn banjô
• Volapük: bänyun (vo)
• Welsh: banjô m
• West Frisian: banjo c
• Yiddish: באַנדזשאָ m (bandzho)

See also

• Appendix:Glossary of chordophones

Verb

banjo (third-person singular simple present banjos, present participle banjoing, simple past and past participle banjoed)

1. To play a banjo.
2. (transitive, slang, British) To beat, to knock down.
   • 1989, Susan S. M. Edwards, Policing 'domestic' Violence: Women, the Law and the State, page 95:

     Admitting the assault, the husband said that he had given her a 'banjoing' but that she had asked for it.

   • 1998, "Fergie's world just gets Madar" (Sport), Sunday Mail, Jan 4, 1998

     Madar was turfed out on a final misdemeanour of banjoing one of his teammates in training before a big game

   • 2007 July 31, “Return of Smeato, the extraordinary hero”, in Times Online:

     "Me and other folk were just trying to get the boot in and some other guy banjoed [decked] him”.

3. (transitive, slang, British, military) To shell or attack (a target).
   • 2008, Michael Asher, The Regiment: The Definitive Story of the SAS, page cxxx:

     Riding reported that on the day Mayne had asked for DZ coordinates, their base had been banjoed by the Germans.

Further reading

• Alice Parkinson, Music (2006), p. 22.

Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bagno. Compare Greek μπάνιο (bánio).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaɲo/
• Rhymes: -aɲo

Noun

banjo f (plural banjo, definite banjoja)

1. Alternative form of banjë
   • 2002, Ibrahim Kadriu, Spirale muzgu:

     Ndërkaq atë fletore Flora Drishti e kishte fshehur në banjo, prapa arkës së ujit të nevojtores.

     Meanwhile Flora Drishti had hidden that notebook in the bathroom, behind the tank of the toilet.

References

• Dashi, B. (2013) “bagno”, in Italianismi nella lingua albanese (in Italian), Edizioni Nuova Cultura, →ISBN, page 87

Czech

Noun

banjo n

1. banjo

   Synonym: (much less common) benžo

Declension

Declension of banjo (hard neuter)

	singular	plural
nominative	banjo	banja
genitive	banja	banj
dative	banju	banjům
accusative	banjo	banja
vocative	banjo	banja
locative	banju	banjech
instrumental	banjem	banji

Further reading

• “banjo”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English banjo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɑn.joː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ban‧jo

Noun

banjo m (plural banjo's, diminutive banjootje n)

1. banjo (stringed instrument)

Descendants

• → Indonesian: banyo

Finnish

Etymology

From English banjo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɑnjo/, [ˈbɑ̝njo̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑnjo
• Hyphenation^(key): ban‧jo

Noun

banjo

1. banjo

Declension

Inflection of banjo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		banjo	banjot
genitive		banjon	banjojen
partitive		banjoa	banjoja
illative		banjoon	banjoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		banjo	banjot
accusative	nom.	banjo	banjot
	gen.	banjon
genitive		banjon	banjojen
partitive		banjoa	banjoja
inessive		banjossa	banjoissa
elative		banjosta	banjoista
illative		banjoon	banjoihin
adessive		banjolla	banjoilla
ablative		banjolta	banjoilta
allative		banjolle	banjoille
essive		banjona	banjoina
translative		banjoksi	banjoiksi
abessive		banjotta	banjoitta
instructive		—	banjoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of banjo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative banjoni banjoni accusative nom. banjoni banjoni gen. banjoni genitive banjoni banjojeni partitive banjoani banjojani inessive banjossani banjoissani elative banjostani banjoistani illative banjooni banjoihini adessive banjollani banjoillani ablative banjoltani banjoiltani allative banjolleni banjoilleni essive banjonani banjoinani translative banjokseni banjoikseni abessive banjottani banjoittani instructive — — comitative — banjoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative banjosi banjosi accusative nom. banjosi banjosi gen. banjosi genitive banjosi banjojesi partitive banjoasi banjojasi inessive banjossasi banjoissasi elative banjostasi banjoistasi illative banjoosi banjoihisi adessive banjollasi banjoillasi ablative banjoltasi banjoiltasi allative banjollesi banjoillesi essive banjonasi banjoinasi translative banjoksesi banjoiksesi abessive banjottasi banjoittasi instructive — — comitative — banjoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative banjomme banjomme accusative nom. banjomme banjomme gen. banjomme genitive banjomme banjojemme partitive banjoamme banjojamme inessive banjossamme banjoissamme elative banjostamme banjoistamme illative banjoomme banjoihimme adessive banjollamme banjoillamme ablative banjoltamme banjoiltamme allative banjollemme banjoillemme essive banjonamme banjoinamme translative banjoksemme banjoiksemme abessive banjottamme banjoittamme instructive — — comitative — banjoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative banjonne banjonne accusative nom. banjonne banjonne gen. banjonne genitive banjonne banjojenne partitive banjoanne banjojanne inessive banjossanne banjoissanne elative banjostanne banjoistanne illative banjoonne banjoihinne adessive banjollanne banjoillanne ablative banjoltanne banjoiltanne allative banjollenne banjoillenne essive banjonanne banjoinanne translative banjoksenne banjoiksenne abessive banjottanne banjoittanne instructive — — comitative — banjoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative banjonsa banjonsa accusative nom. banjonsa banjonsa gen. banjonsa genitive banjonsa banjojensa partitive banjoaan banjoansa banjojaan banjojansa inessive banjossaan banjossansa banjoissaan banjoissansa elative banjostaan banjostansa banjoistaan banjoistansa illative banjoonsa banjoihinsa adessive banjollaan banjollansa banjoillaan banjoillansa ablative banjoltaan banjoltansa banjoiltaan banjoiltansa allative banjolleen banjollensa banjoilleen banjoillensa essive banjonaan banjonansa banjoinaan banjoinansa translative banjokseen banjoksensa banjoikseen banjoiksensa abessive banjottaan banjottansa banjoittaan banjoittansa instructive — — comitative — banjoineen banjoinensa

Derived terms

• banjisti

 

compounds

• banjomonni
• banjosoolo

 

Further reading

• “banjo”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɑ̃.ʒo/, /bɑ̃.dʒo/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Noun

banjo m (plural banjos)

1. banjo

Further reading

• “banjo”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Gothic

Romanization

banjō

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌾𐍉

Greenlandic

Etymology

Borrowed from Danish banjo, from English banjo.

Noun

banjo

1. banjo

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from English banjo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈband͡ʒo]
• Hyphenation: ban‧jo

Noun

banjo (first-person possessive banjoku, second-person possessive banjomu, third-person possessive banjonya)

1. Alternative form of banyo

Further reading

• “banjo” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Noun

banjo m (invariable)

1. (music) banjo

Malay

Noun

banjo (Jawi spelling بنجو, plural banjo-banjo, informal 1st possessive banjoku, 2nd possessive banjomu, 3rd possessive banjonya)

1. (music) banjo

Further reading

• “banjo” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From English banjo, 18th century black American rendition of bandore.

Noun

banjo m (definite singular banjoen, indefinite plural banjoer, definite plural banjoene)

1. (music) a banjo

References

• “banjo” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From English banjo, as above.

Noun

banjo m (definite singular banjoen, indefinite plural banjoar, definite plural banjoane)

1. (music) a banjo

References

• “banjo” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Alternative forms

• bandżo

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English banjo, from bandore, from Spanish bandurria, from Latin pandūra, from Ancient Greek πανδοῦρα (pandoûra). Doublet of bandura and mandola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈban.d͡ʐɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -and͡ʐɔ
• Syllabification: ban‧jo

Noun

banjo n (indeclinable)

1. (music) banjo

Further reading

• banjo in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• banjo in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɐ̃.ʒu/

• Hyphenation: ban‧jo

Noun

banjo m (plural banjos)

1. (music) banjo (a musical instrument)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French banjo.

Noun

banjo n (plural banjouri)

1. banjo

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	banjo	banjoul		banjouri	banjourile
genitive-dative	banjo	banjoului		banjouri	banjourilor
vocative	banjoule			banjourilor

Spanish

Noun

banjo m (plural banjos or banjoes)

1. banjo

Further reading

• “banjo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from English banjo.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

banjo (n class, plural banjo)

1. banjo

Swedish

Noun

banjo c

1. (music) banjo

Declension

Declension of banjo

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	banjo	banjos
	definite	banjon	banjons
plural	indefinite	banjor	banjors
	definite	banjorna	banjornas

References

• banjo in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• banjo in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Anagrams

• bojan

Welsh

Alternative forms

• banjô

Etymology

Borrowed from English banjo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈband͡ʒɔ/

Noun

banjo m (plural banjos or banjoau)

1. banjo

Mutation

Mutated forms of banjo

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
banjo	fanjo	manjo	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “banjo”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

West Frisian

Etymology

Borrowed from English banjo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbanjoː/

Noun

banjo c (plural banjo's, diminutive banjoke)

1. banjo

Further reading

• “banjo”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011