banjo
UK[ˈbæn.dʒəʊ]US[ˈbæn.dʒoʊ]
n
A musical instrument with a circular body, a long neck, and strings that are plucked or strummed.
Etymology
The word 'banjo' entered English in the 18th century from American English, where it was borrowed from a Southern US Black English pronunciation. Its ultimate origin is likely the Kimbundu term 'mbanza', which referred to a similar stringed instrument. The instrument itself, however, has a complex history of development among enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and the American South, blending African instrument-making traditions with local materials and influences. The word's journey from a specific African language term to its current standardized English form reflects the cultural transmission and adaptation of the instrument.
Analysis
The word 'banjo' is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within the structure of modern English.
Examples
He played a lively tune on his five-string banjo.
The folk band features a guitar, a fiddle, and a banjo.
She is learning to fingerpick classic bluegrass banjo songs.