#balkan folklore
- Aksak rhythm — An ethnomusicological term of Turkish origin (meaning 'limping') structurally utilized to define a special class of asymmetrical (divisional) musical rhythms, characterized by the unequal alternation of binary and ternary beats (for instance, 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, or 11/8 meters); as an adjective, it describes a traditional dance, folk melody, or rhythmic structure featuring this specific, alternating pulsation. This complex metric system forms the foundation of musical folklore in the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, and the Near East, being theorized in Romania under the name of asymmetrical rhythm or rhythmaksak.
- Assa — A specialized term or ritualistic shout encountered in the study of ancient and folk cultures; (in traditional Balkan or Oriental choreography) a rhythmic interjection used to urge dancers forward; (rarely, in Oriental archaeological contexts) an ancient coin or measurement unit historically used in Asian basins.