gom-gom, noun

/ˈɡɔmɡɔm/
Origin:
MalayShow more Unknown, perhaps related to ghomma; cf. gum-gum, recorded in the OED from 1700, from Malay, ‘a hollow iron bowl, struck with an iron or wooden stick’.
historical
a. gorah. b. A musical bow similar to the gorah, but designed to produce a more resonant sound.
1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 271One of the Hottentot Instruments of Musick..is call’d, both by Negroes and Hottentots, Gom Gom...The Gom Gom is a bow.
1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 272The Grand Gom Gom is made by putting on the String..a Cocoa-Nut Shell, about a third part saw’d off, so that it hangs like a Cup.
1931 P.R. Kirby in S. Afr. Jrnl of Science XXVIII. Nov. 523His description of what the English translator quaintly (and without authority) styled the ‘Grand Gom-gom’ introduces a problem.
1934 P.R. Kirby Musical Instruments of Native Races (1965) 172Kolbe..was responsible for the next account of the gora, which he named the gom-gom...He..found it played by the Hottentots, though he was by no means sure that they had not derived it from the ‘slaves’ who also played upon it...He complicated matters by adding..the description of what he called a ‘full-sounding’ gom-gom...He gave an illustration of the latter instrument, which I fear was purely imaginary.
1982 E. Mugglestone in Afr. Music VI. ii. 94Kolb’s text indicates that two types of musical bow were observed, to both of which he applied the name gom-gom...As the ‘lesser’ gom-gom is in fact the gora, the two types of bow may be distinguished conveniently by referring to them as the gora and the ‘grand’ gom-gom respectively.
A musical bow similar to the gorah, but designed to produce a more resonant sound.
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historical
gom, nounn.gommie, adjectiveadj.
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