Where does “cittern” come from?
cittern (English) comes from English gittern, from Middle English giterne, from Old French guiterne, from Old Spanish guitarra, from Arabic قِيثَارَة, from Latin cithara, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα — lyre; the ribs of the horse; ivy.
cittern (English): A stringed instrument (chordophone), played with a plectrum (a pick), and most commonly possessing four wire strings and chromatic frets, which is a precursor to the modern day guitar
Definitions
- A stringed instrument (chordophone), played with a plectrum (a pick), and most commonly possessing four wire strings and chromatic frets, which is a precursor to the modern day guitar
Ancestry of “cittern”, step by step
cittern traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gittern
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gittern | A small, quill-plucked, gut-strung musical... |
| 2 | Middle English | giterne | gittern medieval musical instrument |
| 3 | Old French | guiterne | — |
| 4 | Old Spanish | guitarra | classical guitar |
| 5 | Arabic | قِيثَارَة | — |
| 6 | Latin | cithara | cithara, lyre, lute, guitar; guitar |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | κιθάρα | lyre; the ribs of the horse; ivy |
via English cither
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cither | Alternative form of cittern; zither |