English

Etymology

From etyl fro nacaire, nacre (cognate with Italian nacchera, mediaeval Latin nacara), from etyl ar نقارة.

Pronunciation

/ˈneɪkə/

Noun

1. A kettledrum.
   • 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:

     the Norman trumpets from the battlements [...], mingled with the deep and hollow clang of the nakers, (a species of kettle-drum,) retorted in notes of defiance the challenge of the enemy.

A naker or nakir is a small drum, of Arabic origin, and the forebear of the European timpani (kettledrum).

The nakers were imported into Europe during the Crusades of the 13th century.

Nakers consist of metal or wood dome-shaped bodies with goatskin drumheads, with or without snares, and are played by striking them with the hands or with sticks. They are typically played in pairs, often in a sling or harness.

See also

• Naqareh
• Naqara
• Nagara (Drum)
• Kudum
• Dhol

External links

• Sample picture of currently sold nakers
• Picture of Nakirs (and proper stick beaters) being worn