REBEC (Ital. Ribeca, Ribeba; Span. Rabé, Rabel.) The French name (said to be of Arabic origin) of that primitive stringed instrument which was in use throughout western Europe in the middle ages, and was the parent of the viol and violin, and is identical with the German ‘geige
’ and the English ‘fiddle
’; in outline something like the mandoline, of which it was probably the parent. It was shaped like the half of a pear, and was everywhere solid except...
