Cithara
/ˈsɪθərə/noun
An ancient Greek stringed instrument, later a type of lyre or zither.
Did you know?The Greek *kithara* became Latin *cithara*, and that same ancient instrument-name eventually helped shape the word *guitar* through centuries of borrowing and sound-shifting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱerd- / *g̑heh₂-?
“No secure root is universally agreed for the instrument name; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κιθάρα (kithára)
“A lyre-like stringed instrument used in performance and song.”
Classical Latin
Latin
cithara
“A Greek-style stringed instrument, especially a lyre or harp-like instrument.”
Old French
Old French
citole / guiterne-related forms
“Medieval stringed instruments and inherited musical terms influenced by the older Greek-Latin name.”
Middle English
English
giterne / gitarre
“Early forms of the word that eventually developed into modern guitar.”
Modern English
English
guitar
“A fretted stringed instrument with a long neck and a flat body.”