Names in other languages include nuqaisāt (after the naqus) in Arabic and used among Berbers,[4] ṣunnūj ṣaghīra in Arabic,[5] Zang-e sarangoshti (Persian, possibly related to the zang), sanj angshati (سنج انگشتی) (Persian, related to Sanj), çeng in Turkish, p'eng chung in Chinese.

Clappers are musical instruments made of wood, bone, metal, and other substances that are played by being struck against each other.

Ancient Greek potteries depict men and women celebrating at Dionysian festivals, some of them playing krotala.

Examples of mosaics and stone reliefs showing Roman finger cymbal players come from Bulgaria, Italy and Belgium, and are dated between the second and fourth century CE.

First representations of "modern" finger cymbal players in Egypt and Turkey date from the 18th century at the latest.

They are also used in the zaar, a healing ritual utilizing rhythmic songs and dances meant to soothe Jinn, a form of magically empowered spirit beings.

Zills played as idiophones (two on each hand) can be played in many ways to produce a wide and subtle range of sound, from quiet clicking, bell-like ringing, muted cupped sounds, loud clacks, and even a small range of pitch change.

Zills belong to the family of instruments used in Ottoman military bands, and also occasionally appear as part of Western orchestral or other musical performances.

In these cases, musicians usually just call them finger cymbals and use them to obtain a ringing sound with "Middle Eastern" associations.