"Otomatone", is it made by combining "sound" and "hand"?


"Otomatone", is it made by combining "sound" and "hand"?

Wiktionary confirms that "oto" is
["sound"](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sound#Translations_2), but not that
"mato" means ["hand"](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hand/translations#Noun).

Sources: [Google
Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Otamatone+%22hand+sound%22&hl=en)
[1](https://everythingotamatone.com/blogs/news/otamatone-the-strange-japanese-
instrument), [2](https://oleosymusica.blog/en/what-sound-does-an-otamatone-
make/), [3](https://www.musicianauthority.com/otamatone/)

> What does Otamatone mean in Japanese?

> Its body is shaped like an eighth note (quaver) where the sound emerges from
> its mouth on the notehead. This two-handed synthesizer instrument’s name
> Otamatone is a combination of two words – “oto” which means sound and “mato”
> which means “hand sound”.

While Wikipedia [implies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otamatone#Description)
that the name's based on "otamajakushi":

> The Otamatone is a synthesizer whose body is shaped like an eighth note
> (quaver) (it also somewhat resembles a tadpole, or a ladle, otamajakushi
> (お玉杓子 / おたまじゃくし) being Japanese for tadpole and ladle)

The translation of which is backed up by Wiktionary, of course, and
[Jisho](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%8A%E7%8E%89%E6%9D%93%E5%AD%90).




I think your sources are probably wrong. Firstly, it is not ot **o** matone
but ot **a** matone. As [Wikipedia
says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otamatone), オタマトーン{otamatōn} is made by
combining オタマジャクシ{otamajakushi} (tadpole) and トーン{tōn} (tone). I've never
heard of "mato" meaning "hand", and I'm Japanese.




I think your sources are probably wrong. Firstly, it is not ot **o** matone
but ot **a** matone. As [Wikipedia
says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otamatone), オタマトーン{otamatōn} is made by
combining オタマジャクシ{otamajakushi} (tadpole) and トーン{tōn} (tone). I've never
heard of "mato" meaning "hand", and I'm Japanese.

