Yo

Yo (Chin.: foot, measure), 1. *notched flute of ancient China, first mentioned in the 8th c. B.C., so named because it measured exactly 1 yo (229.9 mm.), or Chin. foot. In ancient times it had 3 fingerholes and served as a dancer's instr. As such, it became transformed in the course of time into a dancer's wand, and has been no more than a wand used in ritual dances since the 16th c.; the modern instr., called yo, is a notched flute with 6 fingerholes. Cf. yak, yüeh; 2. xylophone of the…