taqsim means an improvisation or a solo recital based on a maqam. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 100 out of 100.
Why “taqsim” is a great word
TAQSIM — [Noun] An improvisatory instrumental solo in Middle Eastern music, exploring the melodic architecture of a maqam. Borrowed from Arabic تَقْسِيم (taqsīm), a verbal noun derived from the root ق-س-م (q-s-m), meaning 'to divide' or 'to apportion'. Unlike *maqam* (the fixed system of modal scales) or *mawwal* (a poetic vocal improvisation), a *taqsim* is a solitary, wordless navigation of that inherited structure. It is the oud player parsing a single mode into a thousand shades of feeling, the ney’s breath dividing a sustained note into shimmering microtones, and the qanun apportioning silence as carefully as sound—a meticulous dissection proving the deepest maps are drawn not by following a path, but by lingering in every contour.
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic تَقْسِيم (taqsīm).
noun
- An improvisation or a solo recital based on a maqam.