ψαλτήριον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ψάλλω (psállō, “to touch sharply, to pluck, to pull, to twitch”) +‎ -τήριον (-tḗrion), from ψάω (psáō, “to touch lightly, to rub”), which acquired the meaning of plucking a harp, and later making music in general.

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /psal.tɛ̌ː.ri.on/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /psalˈte̝.ri.on/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /psalˈti.ri.on/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /psalˈti.ri.on/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /psalˈti.ri.on/

Noun

ψᾰλτήρῐον • (psaltḗrion) n (genitive ψᾰλτηρῐ́ου); second declension

stringed instrument, harp

Inflection

Lua error: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

Descendants

→ Aramaic: פְּסַנְתֵּרִין‎ (psanterín)
- →? Persian: سنتور‎ (santur)
  - → Armenian: սանթուր (santʿur), սանթուռ (santʿuṙ)
  - → English: santur, santūr, santour, santouri, santoor, santir
  - → Ottoman Turkish: سانطور‎ (santur)
    - Turkish: santur
→ Greek: ψαλτήριο (psaltírio)
→ Latin: psaltērium (see there for further descendants)