Cacara

/kɑːkəˈrɑː/ noun

Definition

A type of rattle or percussion instrument used in indigenous South American music and rituals.

Etymology

From Tupi or indigenous Amazonian language, derived from onomatopoeia—the name mimics the rattling sound the instrument makes.

Kelly Says

Onomatopoeic words like cacara show how indigenous peoples named things by their sounds—this is one of the oldest and most natural ways all languages create new words.

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