Kamānja

Kamānja (Pers.) [dim. of kaman, bow], *spike fiddle of Persia that first appeared ca. 900. According to Farmer, it is not mentioned in Pahl. or early Pers. texts. By the time it appeared in Persia, it was already known in Egypt and the Sind; subsequently it spread throughout the Arab.-speaking world, as far afield as India and Celebes. See also: kāmanja, kemence, kyamancha (89 Farmer, 144 Chottin). Sort by:DefaultTitleDateAscendingDescending Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th…