Cittern
/ˈsɪtən/noun
A stringed musical instrument of the Renaissance, shaped somewhat like a guitar and usually strung with wire.
Did you know?Cittern ultimately comes from the same ancient root as the modern word for a guitar-like instrument family, and its name passed through Latin and French before landing in English as a courtly Renaissance sound.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κιθάρα (kithara)
“A lyre-like stringed instrument used in classical antiquity.”
Latin
Latin
cithara
“A stringed instrument borrowed from Greek.”
Old French
Old French
citole
“A medieval plucked string instrument.”
Middle English
English
cyterne / citeren
“A cittern, a plucked stringed instrument.”
16th Century
English
cittern
“The standard English form for the Renaissance wire-strung instrument.”
Modern English
English
cittern
“A historical stringed instrument, now mostly used in early music contexts.”