Scan 107
Researches into the early history of the violin family, 1883
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 97. See the scan on archive.org.
1by Jacob Grimm ("Kinder und Hausmärchen," Vol. iii., p. 192, Göttingen, 1856), who, in speaking of the musical powers of a Scandinavian enchantress called Gygur, says that the word geige is perhaps derived from the name of this mythical being. The Swedes at the present day have the word giga, or mungiga, signifying the Jew's-harp. According to Halliwell's "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words," the country people in some districts of the north of England call the Jew's-harp gew-gaw, which is perhaps a corruption of the French joujou, if it is not the German geige; or it may be, possibly, from jaw, as also Jew's-harp—jaw's-harp, because it is placed to the jaws when played upon.
3Again, Albert Sowinski ("Les Musiciens Polonais," p. 51, Paris, 1857) maintains that the word geige is derived from the Slavonic languages. The Poles and some other Slavonic races had the word guiga, or guigua (derived from genga). In the course of time it passed into the German language, where it became geige. The Slavonic races, he asserts, had it "in olden time," but, as he does not state the century to which it can be traced back with them, his assertion is of but little use.
5If the English word jig ever meant a musical instrument, it must have been at an early period, since it has not this meaning in the classical literature of England, but generally signifies a certain merry dance, which may possibly have obtained its name from being usually danced to the music played on a sort of fiddle called jig, just as the hornpipe and the French musette obtained their names from certain musical instruments which were almost invariably played with these dances. The English word jig had some other meanings besides, which it is unnecessary to notice here. Suffice it to point out that most of the lexicographers identify it with the French gigue and the Italian giga. C. Richardson derives it from the Anglo-Saxon gangan, "to go," and he remarks: "Gig, or jig (German, geige; Dutch, ghiighe; French, gigue; Italian giga), a musical instrument (fides) is derived by Wachter from geigen, or jucken (fricare), to rub or scrape. A gig or top, by Junius, from geige, the musical instrument."
7As regards the German verb jucken, which was, according
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