Where does “psalter” come from?
Psalter comes from Middle English sauter, from Old French sautier, from Latin psalterium, from Ancient Greek ψαλτήριον, derived from ψάλλω meaning to pluck or play a stringed instrument, with the instrumental suffix -τήρ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr.
psalter (English): The Book of Psalms. Often applied to a book...
Definitions
- The Book of Psalms. Often applied to a book...
Ancestry of “psalter”, step by step
psalter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English psauter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | psauter | — |
| 2 | Old French | sautier | — |
| 3 | Latin | psaltērium | lute or psaltery |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ψαλτήριον | stringed instrument, harp |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ψάλλω | to twitch; to make a sound by striking, touching,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ψάω | to touch lightly, rub, wipe, rub smooth; to... |
via Middle High German salter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | salter | psalm |