What does zithern mean?
The zithern is a historical English name for the zither, a musical instrument with strings stretched across a flat soundboard. The strings may be plucked with the fingers, sometimes assisted by fingerpicks or a plectrum, and the instrument can produce both melodic lines and simple chordal accompaniment. Zithern is not a separate modern instrument type; it is an older form of the word now generally called zither. The name is encountered in descriptions of early music, old literature, paintings, and historical instruments, where its additional syllable gives the term a period character. It should not be confused with the cittern, another plucked stringed instrument, but one distinguished by its neck and wire strings. For readers encountering zithern in an older text, recognizing it as the older name for the zither is the key to understanding its meaning. The word is therefore mainly of interest today to readers of historical English and to musicians or collectors interested in the development of stringed instruments.
nounA historical name for the zither, a stringed musical instrument whose strings are stretched over a flat soundboard and played with the fingers or a plectrum.
- A historical name for a zither or a similar flat-based stringed instrument.
"The quiet musician in the painting sits beside a zithern, plucking its many strings."
"She could hear the faint melody of a zithern coming from the adjoining room."
"The antiquarian described the old engraving as showing a lady playing the zithern."
The regular plural is zitherns, although the word itself is now rare.
"The collection includes several zitherns made in Central Europe."
Zithern is the zither’s older English name: the same instrument, remembered with its final syllable intact.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zithern
The word entered English from German Zithern, an older German form related to Zither, and ultimately derives from Ancient Greek kithára (κιθάρα), the name of a plucked string instrument. The same Greek source lies behind several cognates, including the English zither and the Latin-derived forms cithara and citole. In English, zithern became the established historical name before zither became the usual modern form.
How zithern is actually used
The word is archaic and survives chiefly in historical, antiquarian, or literary contexts. In ordinary modern usage, zither is preferred.
Easily confused with zithern
Zithern is a historical English form of the name zither, which is now the standard modern term.
A cittern is a distinct wire-strung instrument with a separate neck, whereas a zither has its strings stretched over a flat soundboard.