Why this word is great
RAMKIE — [Noun] An improvised guitar-like string instrument made from a discarded oil can, with or without frets, most commonly with three or four strings made from fishing line or bicycle brake wire, originating in the folk music of Southern Africa. From Afrikaans ramkie, borrowed from Portuguese rabequinha ("little fiddle"). Unlike the kora (a West African harp-lute with a gourd resonator, steeped in tradition) or the banjo (a fretted instrument with a taut membrane head, polished by American folk revival), the ramkie is a creature of necessity and ingenuity—born from scrap, strung with whatever lies at hand. It is the metallic twang of brake wire vibrating against rusted tin, the hollow resonance of an oil drum repurposed as a soundboard, the calloused fingers of a musician coaxing melody from what others would discard. A ramkie sings not in spite of its origins, but because of them: proof that music thrives where resources are scarce, and beauty clings to the margins.