celempung

noun

cel·​em·​pung ˈche-ləm-ˌpüŋ 

: a large, ornate, Indonesian zither with usually 13 pairs of strings strung on two sides and that stands on legs with the body sloping toward the player and is plucked with the thumbnails typically in a gamelan ensemble

Celempung is a zither with metal strings which the player plucks with his thumbnails. There are two strings for each pitch, tuned the same and placed so close together that the player treats the pair of strings as if it were a single string.

—Henry Spiller, Gamelan, 2004

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Javanese calempung, celempung, clempung (phonetically čaləmpuŋ, čələmpuŋ, čləmpuŋ)

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

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