Getting settled in my new place - new address below. Here are a few entries from an on-line English etymology dictionary (etymonline.com) that may interest some of you. It's not the best research tool (it doesn't even have an entry for cittern), but it does give a bit of general information.
guitar: 1621, ult. from Gk. kithara "cithara," a stringed musical instrument related to the lyre, perhaps from Pers. sihtar (see sitar); the name reached Eng. several times, including early 14c. giterne, in reference to various stringed, guitar-like instruments; the modern word is directly from Sp. guittara, from Arabic qitar, from the Gk. zither: stringed musical instrument, 1850, from Ger. Zither, from O.H.G. zitara, from L. cithara, from Gk. kithara "lute" ax/axe: O.E. =E6ces, later =E6x, from P.Gmc. *akusjo (cf. O.S. accus, O.N. ex, O.Fris. axe, Ger. Axt, Goth. aqizi), from PIE *agw(e)si- (cf. Gk. axine, L. ascia). Meaning "musical instrument" is 1955, originally jazz slang for the saxophone; rock slang for "guitar" dates to 1967. ... in case it doesn't come through again, here's the link: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=guitar&searchmode=none Doc Rossi Le Grand Domain (24) Blvd des Dames 26 13002 Marseille France www.magnatune.com/artists/docrossi.html [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
