jaw harp, hrooŋ

Jaw harp system used by the Khmu people of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and China, described in Proschan (1994). The instrument itself (hrooŋ in Khmu) is a single-tongued jaw harp fashioned from metal or bamboo. Most dialects of Khmu are not tonal. The surrogate system involves orally resonating the jaw harp while articulating Khmu words. Speaking generally about Southeast Asian jaw harp systems, Proschan notes that “a skilled player can quite well articulate vowels (using the resonating chamber of the mouth) and can simulate certain consonants and tones through conventional means” (53). The system is used by young men for courtship dialogues, especially employing “formulaic courtship verses and phrases” (54).

Proschan, F. (1994). Khmu play languages. Mon-Khmer Studies, 23, 43–65.