Etymograph

English

zither

Zither comes from Old High German zithara, from Latin cithara ‘cithara, cittern, zither, lyre, lute, guitar’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek κιθάρα ‘a kind of harp’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκιθάρα1kithára‘a kind of harp’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcithara1‘cithara, cittern, zither, lyre, lute, guitar’
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050zithara1
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentZither1
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1892zither1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English zither
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1892, Edmund Gosse, New York: United States Book Company: “[…] the fluting began again. Not alone this time,…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκιθάραWiktionary, English zitherkithára‘a kind of harp’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcitharaWiktionary, English zither‘cithara, cittern, zither, lyre, lute, guitar’
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050zitharaWiktionary, English zither
  4. Germanc. 1650–presentZitherWiktionary, English zither
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1892zitherWiktionary, English zither. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1892, Edmund Gosse, New York: United States Book Company: “[…] the fluting began again. Not alone this time,…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek κιθάρα

Today it means

noun A musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings placed on a horizontal surface, played with a plectrum or fingertips.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “zither”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek κιθάρα / zither

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