erhun.

1908 Jrnl. N.-China Branch Royal Asiatic Soc. 39 125 Êrh Hu (Eul Hou)... This differs from the Ssû Hu..in having one pair of strings instead of two... At Peking, where it is not common, it is called Êrh Ku tzŭ.

1917 S. Couling Encycl. Sinica 389/1 Mabillon quotes Fétis as saying that the Erh hu was derived from a Cingalese violin.

1954 Grove's Dict. Music (ed. 5) II. 246/1 Liou also left a number of compositions for the ellhwu and was himself an outstanding executant on this instrument.

1954 Folk Arts of New China 15 One or two manipulated the dolls... Two others sang and declaimed, the rest provided the music on drums and cymbals, erh hu (Chinese violin) and flute.

1964 S. Marcuse Musical Instruments 174/2 Erh hu, spike fiddle of China, a hu ch'in with small hexagonal body of wood, snakeskin belly, 2 strings looped to the handle and tuned a 5th apart, and a tubular neck that pierces the belly... The bow passes between the strings, thus causing them to sound simultaneously.

1975 C. P. Mackerras Chinese Theatre in Mod. Times 22 Although the hu-ch'in and the erh-hu are often played simultaneously, the former is normally allowed to dominate when accompanying the singers of male roles; the latter, when accompanying the singers of female roles.

1986 J. Trenhaile Mahjong Spies v. 101 The clash of gong and cymbals..yielding to the more melodious strains of the erhu.