*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of tabla

From Hindustani طبلہ / तबला (tablā), from Arabic طَبْلَة (ṭabla). Cognate of Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese tambor.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Hindustani طبلہ / तबला (tablā), from Arabic طَبْلَة (ṭabla). Cognate of Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese tambor.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "inc-hnd"
      },
      "expansion": "Hindustani"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "طَبْلَة"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic طَبْلَة (ṭabla)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ca",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Catalan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "pt",
        "2": "tambor"
      },
      "expansion": "Portuguese tambor"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ط ب ل"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "طبلہ",
      "طبلہ#Urdu"
    ],
    [
      "तबला",
      "तबला#Hindi"
    ],
    [
      "طَبْلَة",
      "طبلة#Arabic"
    ],
    [
      "tambor",
      "tambor#Portuguese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A pair of tuned hand drums, used in various musical genres of the Indian subcontinent, that are similar to bongos."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "6e800acd9cbf5d0c76c31ae0deedbf3c855e5e0e9a75197df6c82212162ff319",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c1afe88762119785c0774c4c8a5a513a1a45158c3b07db4ca31899c299181191",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 498752
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for tabla →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dGFibGE