Science, ideas & the arts

banjo

Enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and North America built gourd lutes they called banza, banjar or banjo; the name probably comes from an African word such as Kimbundu mbanza, blended with English bandore, and minstrel shows and bluegrass later took the banjo around the world.

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1650Kimbundu

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

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