[Harp-L] RE: Why is a harmonica called a harp?

[Snaruhn@xxxxxxx]

Ufff,  

obviously, this harp-L evergreen is " as dead as a door nail" (adapted from 
Christmas Carrol), so let me give it a final shot because the "Äoline" was
invented in Germany (the Chinamen have of course the birthright, as mostly). 

Bobbie hit the point:

< ....no more or less ridiculous than other list threads >

Absolutely, it´s not just ridiculous but idle anyway to question or to wonder 

about a term which doesn´t cause any misinterpretation, at least not among
those exotics who can talk about this "sandwich" 25 hours per day.

However, the thread is remarkable from the linguistic view point which always
is of interest to me.

Hey, Elisabeth, you may find my way of thinking "pedantic" or typical 
"German"
but to speak about the correct terminology is always useful since the 
language
is one of the few monikers humans differ from animals. (I come back to your
subject later, be patient).

Well, one "harp" friend wrote that "harmonica" has 4 syllables and therefore 
can´t compete with "harp". Elisabeth would say that only an American can
formulate such an "argument". Yup, in a certain sense I would agree because 
only the Brits (Am. for "British") say "colour, favour", ect. but the 
Americans
invented X-ing, sez, ASAP, etc. Unlike German, also spoken in Austria
and partly in Swissland, a non-native learning English is spoilt for choice.

For my part, I prefer the American way of concentrating the spelling and 
mostly
say "chrom" instead of "chromatic". So, isn´t the tune "Tea for two" much 
longer
than T 4 2 ?

Back to the harp. Bobbie wrote:

< And with the term "harp" already in use, and connected with the word 
Aeolian, 
< as well as the free-reed Jew's Harp, it would not surprise me if these were 
the
< strongest influences leading to the term "Mouth Harp", and by extension,
< later "French Harp", and just plain "Harp", as well.  I also recall 
Siegfried
< Naruhn pointing out a few years ago that the term "Mundharpe" is a very old
< European harmonica name continuing in use today. >

Aaaah, Bobbie, may I correct a little? At least I had said "Mundharfe" and if
that should be an European name for the harmonica you were the first one
who had invented a common European language. However, "Mundharfe" would
be the best term for the Jew`s Harp because it has a string like the stringed 
harp
but in German the Jew`s Harp is called "Maultrommel" (mouth drum) and it is 
our
secret what that thing has to do with a drum.  

Apropos, harmonica. Though in Germany our "baby, sandwich, porka ...."
is known under some 20 or 30 terms, the very correct name is "Mundharmonika".
If someone asked you for your instrument and you would answer with
"Harmonika" that one would possibly broach the question again: how do you 
mean?
"Ziehharmonika" or a "Mundharmonika"? 

A "Ziehharmonika", is an accordion-like instrument with buttons and a bellows 
  
producing different notes at pulling or pressing the bellows and is also 
called
"Handharmonika" (hand harp) unlike the "Mundharmonika" (mouth harp or
mouth organ). In this connection it`s interesting that even the Germans with
their faible for long word monsters find these 5 syllables much too long
and speak of "Muha" instead of "Mundharmonika".

Now Robert Bonfiglio wrote:

< I always called the chromatic a 'harmonica' and the diatonic was a 'harp'. >


A "pedantic" German had said: if you would name them chromatic harp and
diatonic harp that were (was) best. But what you said in your other post 
isn`t 
quite correct:

< A small harmonium becomes a harmonika since the diminutive in German adds
< the ka at the end. >

Where do you know that? The German diminutive is "..chen" or " ..lein" as in
"Mann - Männchen" or "Bube - Büblein". But the language is anything else than
logical, so, a "Fräulein" isn´t a little but an unmarried woman. 

The ending "ka" indicates that the object is of female gender and demands the 

German article "die". So, you have to type "die Harmonika", "die Phillipika" 
etc. 

BTW, to answer the subject is something like a salto logicale. If the 
instrument in
question is really a harmonica it can´t be a harp and reversely. A German 
would 
even ask back: who says that a harp is a harmonika? A harp has strings and a
harmonica has reeds, basta.  

Finally, English and German are relative languages but can have different 
semantics. The English "harp" is obviously the German "Harfe" (that monstrous
string instrument) but can also be that "thing" harp-L was invented for. 
OTOH,
depending on the construction the German differentiates between "Klavier"
and "Fluegel" but in English only a piano is known.

OK, let´s hope that this thread is definitely a dead horse and everybody who
asked that question once again should answer it too.

Hey, Harpie, what´s the matter? Schluss, aus, finito, end of message!

Yeah, Dad, just this question yet. Do I also have to shorten my name
to prevent misunderstandings?      

Misunderstandings? You are a misunderstanding eo ipso or sui generis.

Keep on harmonin`

Siegfried