Etymograph

English

guitar

Guitar comes from Spanish guitarra, from Arabic قِيثَارَة, via Aramaic, from Ancient Greek κιθάρα ‘cithara, lyre’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκιθάρα‘cithara, lyre’
  2. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEקיתרא‘any stringed musical instrument’
  3. Arabicc. 500–presentقِيثَارَة‘guitar; lyre’
  4. Old Spanishc. 950–1500guitarra‘guitar’
  5. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2020guitar

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκιθάρα‘cithara, lyre’
  2. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEקיתרא‘any stringed musical instrument’
  3. Arabicc. 500–presentقِيثَارَة‘guitar; lyre’
  4. Old Spanishc. 950–1500guitarra‘guitar’
  5. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2020guitar

Earliest quotation: 2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē: “We guitared and drummed and head banged and pianoed.”

Every English word from Ancient Greek κιθάρα

Today it means

noun A stringed musical instrument, of European origin, usually with a fretted fingerboard and six strings, played with the fingers or a plectrum (guitar pick).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek κιθάρα / guitar

Shirt and support for this word