What does the word ukulele literally mean?
jumping flea
Etymology: from Hawaiian ‘ukulele “ukulele,” literally, “jumping flea,” from ‘uku “flea” + lele “jumping” : a usually four-stringed small guitar popularized in Hawaii. Word History In the 19th century, a former British army officer named Edward Purvis lived in Hawaii as an official at the royal court.
What does the ukulele mean in English?
These qualities had at some point earned him a nickname that translates as “jumping flea.” In Hawaiian, the word is ukulele (from ʽuku, “flea,” and lele, “jumping”). Ukulele became so closely associated with the instrument that his nickname became the name by which the instrument was known.
What is the best definition for ukulele?
countable noun. A ukulele is a small guitar with four strings.
Why do they call it a ukulele?
Originally named machete, the small, guitar-like instrument was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants in the late 1800s and adapted the Hawaiian name ukulele. Purvis, a lively and petite fellow, gained the Hawaiian nickname ukulele, which translates to “jumping flea” in English.
What does the ukulele symbolize?
“A Ukulele is a symbol of peace and friendship.”
How do you use ukulele in a sentence?
Ukulele sentence example
- In addition to singing, she also plays the piano and ukulele .
- The singer uses the Japanese folk style playing the ukulele , more info on her cna be obtained here at JVC Music.
- But I had a little ukulele in there, so I got to write a lot of songs!
What is short for ukulele?
The ukulele, or uke, as it’s frequently called for short, comes in four standard sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone, and even more less-common variations. The larger the uke, the deeper and louder its sound.
What makes a ukulele a ukulele?
The ukulele is a member of the lute family of string instruments which typically employs four strings, but occasionally has six or eight strings (these are called taropatches or taropatch ukuleles). Generally, ukuleles are made of wood, although some have been made of plastic or other materials.
How do you say ukulele in Hawaiian?
The word ‘ukulele is Hawai’ian, not English. In Hawai’ian, the language of origin, it is pronounced “oo koo lay lay”. Most English speakers say “yoo koo lay lee” or “yoo ka lay lee”. The Hawai’ian pronunciation is unquestionably the most “correct” pronunciation, as that is the way it was first pronounced.
Why it is called ukulele?
It could be that in 1879 in Honolulu, Joao Fernandes, who had just disembarked from Madeira, played the braguina with such virtuosity and speed that the Hawaiians, impressed with his jumping fingers, called the instrument the “ukulele”, meaning dancing flea.
What is the origin of the word ukulele?
The word ‘ukulele’ comes from Hawaiian, ‘uku’ (“flea”) + ‘lele’ (“jump, jumping”). Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on several small guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin, the machete, the Cavaquinho and the Rajao , introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants from Madeira and Cape Verde.
What is the best ukele song?
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
What is the pronunciation of ukulele?
Ukulele was first and foremost pronounced as,”oo-koo-lay-lay”. Thus this is the way it should be pronounced now. We should not pronounce it as,”yoo-koo-lay-lee” because this highlights,”American Slang” if you will and it is butchering the word itself and thus the entire meaning of the ukulele.
What is another word for ukulele?
ukulele | definition: a small guitar having four strings | synonyms: guitar, uke