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chained_bear commented on the word kitharis
"Homer refers to Hermes's lyre as a kitharis. Vase paintings show the kitharis as a light instrument made from the carapace of a tortoise with oxhide stretched over the bowl and two curved and slender arms. The instrument's name can be traced back to the Assyrian chetarah of the second milennium B.C., to the ancient Hebrew kinnura or kinnor, and to the Chaldean qitra. The common root of all of these instruments is likely found in the Sanskrit chhatur-tar, meaning 'four strings.' The Sanskrit terms came into Persian as char (four) and tar (string) and from there into Greek."
—Glenn Kurtz, Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music (New York: Vintage Books, 2007), 108
November 3, 2008
sarra commented on the word kitharis
Hmm, there's a cithara as well. And then of course all the way to guitar, though I'm not looking up the etymology of all of these!
November 3, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word kitharis
More story on kithara, sarra, if you're interested. :)
November 3, 2008