xylophone and glockenspiel.

[lunaraine]

This is not so much about where these name originate from - but more something that has bothered me for years.

Does anyone else feel like the names should be the other way round, glockenspiel for the wooden and xylophone for the metal. I know neither word is 'english' but it still strikes me as irritating. Quite unreasonable I know. The only reason I can remember which is which is because to me they are the opposite of how they sound.

Just me or anyone else? Any other examples?

[heathfield]

I've always thought the name for the historic instrument the 'Sackbutt', ought to be the other way round. It should be called a 'Buttsack'. I find that much more in keeping with the sound it produces!

[jno]

goodness... you're quite right; in fact I'd always thought of them as the other way round. I suppose marimbas should be made of soft felt or something similar, as the Ms imply a sort of muffled sound.

[said_khan]

Xylophone means "wooden sound" and Glockenspiel means "playing bells" so you just can't go around changing them, it wouldn't make sense.

[lunaraine]

Cool, thanks for that. I figured that would be the reasoning behind the names. I just like (!?) the fact they sound the wrong way round. Bit like that test they did a few years ago with the spiky image and the rounded image. One called kiki and one called boubou or something similar. Ppl were asked which shape had which name, quite obviously ppl named the spiky image kiki.

[mariasw]

Glockenspiel originates from the german languege - glocken means bell and spiel is to play.