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bal·a·lai·ka

(băl′ə-līkə)

A Russian musical instrument with a triangular body and three strings that produces sounds similar to those of a mandolin.

[Russian balalaĭka, alteration of earlier balabaĭka : bala-, onomatopoeia imitative of prattling talk (as in balagurit', to joke, jest (the balalaika traditionally being played to accompany singers of tales)) + baĭka, fantastic tale, anecdote (from bayat', to say speak, from Old Russian bayati; see bhā-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

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balalaika

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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