Sitar
/ˈsɪtɑːr/noun
A long-necked Indian plucked string instrument with movable frets and a resonating gourd.
Did you know?The name refers to the instrument’s early three-string design, although modern sitars commonly have many more playing, sympathetic, and drone strings.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tréyes; *tenh₁-
“The ancient roots behind “three” and “stretch,” ultimately connected to the instrument’s numerical and string-related elements.”
Ancient Indo-Iranian
Sanskrit
tri-tantrī
“A proposed related description meaning “three-stringed”; the exact pathway into the later Persian name is debated.”
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
tār
“String or wire; the term later became a common element in names for Iranian string instruments.”
Medieval Persian
Persian
sih-tār / sitār
“Literally “three strings,” formed from sih, “three,” and tār, “string.””
13th–16th Century
Hindi
sitar
“The Persian-derived name entered North Indian musical culture as the instrument developed into its recognizable form.”
Modern English
English
sitar
“A plucked Indian lute, widely known for its resonant drone and sympathetic strings.”