mridangam

English

Alternative forms

• mridang, mrudang, mridanga, mrudanga, mrudangam, mrdangam, mrithangam, miruthangam, mirudhangam

Etymology

mridangam, a musical instrument.

Borrowed from Malayalam മൃദംഗം (mr̥daṅgaṁ), from Sanskrit मृदङ्ग (mṛdaṅga). Alternative forms are from various other Indian languages such as miruthangam, mirudhangam are borrowed from Tamil மிருதங்கம் (mirutaṅkam), mridang from Hindi मृदङ्ग (mŕdaṅg) etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɹɪˈdʌŋ.ɡəm/
• (India) IPA^(key): /mri.d̪ɐŋ.ɡɐm/

Noun

mridangam (plural mridangams)

1. (music) A percussion instrument used in southern Indian music, consisting of a two-sided drum whose body is usually made from a hollowed piece of jackfruit wood. [from 19th c.]
   • 2015, Tridip Suhrud, translating Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi, Sarasvatichandra I, Orient BlackSwan 2015, p. 145:

     A sarangi player set the tone and Kalavati began to sing in her sweet, melodious voce; mridangam and sitar accompanied her.