Another spelling variant of colophony; a resinous substance derived from turpentine or pine trees, used especially for violin bows.
From Greek Kolophon (the ancient city) with the -any suffix. Different European regions adopted different versions of this word.
Without colophony on violin bows, there would be no friction between bow and string—the rosin is what actually makes violins sing, yet most people have no idea what's on their expensive instruments!
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