Definition

Noun: A cithern is a stringed musical instrument from the 16th century. It is characterized by a pear-shaped body (soundbox) and strings made of wire, and it resembles a guitar in its general form.

Usage and Examples

• The minstrel played a lively tune on his cithern.
• In Renaissance music ensembles, the cithern often provided chordal accompaniment.
• Museums with collections of early instruments sometimes display a cithern.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used primarily in historical or musicological contexts to describe this specific period instrument.
• It is often associated with the music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Europe.

Variants and Related Words

• Cittern: This is the more common modern spelling for the same instrument.
• Cither: A less common variant spelling.
• Gittern: An earlier medieval instrument that is a precursor to the cittern/cithern.

Synonyms

• Cittern
• (Historical) Guitar

Notes on Different Meanings

The word cithern refers specifically to the historical instrument. It should not be confused with: * Zither: A different type of stringed instrument where the strings are stretched over a flat, wooden soundbox and are typically plucked. * Modern Guitar: A contemporary instrument with a different construction and typically nylon or steel strings, not wire.

Noun

1. a 16th century musical instrument resembling a guitar with a pear-shaped soundbox and wire strings