alap

noun

a-ˈläp 

variants or less commonly alapa

a-ˈlä-pə 

or alapana

a-ˈlä-pə-nə 

music

: an improvised, unaccompanied prelude to an Indian raga normally lacking rhythmic pulse and meter that is either played or sung as vocalise

The practice of beginning musical pieces with a seemingly free-form introduction that becomes a metered ensemble performance is common to India in the alap of a raga in classical Hindustani music …

—Leonard Brown, John Coltrane and Black America's Quest for Freedom, 2010

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi ālāp "speaking, modulation of the voice in singing, prelude to a piece of music," borrowed from Sanskrit ālāpaḥ "speech, conversation," noun derivative of ālapati "(he/she) speaks to, addresses," from ā- "toward" + lapati "he/she chatters, talks" (probably of onomatopoeic origin)

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!