[Russian balalaĭka, alteration of earlier balabaĭka : bala-, onomatopoeia imitative of prattling talk (as in balagurit', to joke, jest (the balalaika traditionally being played to accompany singers of tales)) + baĭka, fantastic tale, anecdote (from bayat', to say speak, from Old Russian bayati; see bhā-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]