zither, n.

zither
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zither_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2021

# zithernoun

## Earlier version

- zither, n. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zither mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zither. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zither?

About 0.2occurrences per million words in modern written English

1830 | 0.0023
1840 | 0.0045
1850 | 0.013
1860 | 0.029
1870 | 0.055
1880 | 0.086
1890 | 0.11
1900 | 0.13
1910 | 0.14
1920 | 0.15
1930 | 0.15
1940 | 0.16
1950 | 0.17
1960 | 0.18
1970 | 0.18
1980 | 0.17
1990 | 0.17
2000 | 0.16
2010 | 0.15

### How is the noun zither pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɪðə/
ZIDH-uh
/ˈzɪθə/
ZITH-uh

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɪðər/
ZIDH-uhr
/ˈzɪθər/
ZITH-uhr

### Where does the noun zither come from?

Earliest known use

1830s

The earliest known use of the noun zither is in the 1830s.

OED's earliest evidence for zither is from 1831, in London Literary Gazette.

zither is a borrowing from German.

Etymons: German Zither.

### Nearby entries

1. zircono-, comb. form
2. zirconolite, n. 1957–
3. zircon-syenite, n. 1813–
4. zirconyl, n. 1887–
5. zirkelite, n. 1895–
6. zit, n. 1912–
7. zit cream, n. 1968–
8. zitella, n. a1660–
9. zit-face, n. 1974–
10. zit-faced, adj. 1971–
11. zither, n.1831–
12. zither, v. 1889–
13. zither banjo, n. 1888–
14. zithering, adj. 1889–
15. zitherist, n. 1866–
16. zither-like, adj. 1881–
17. ziti, n. 1845–
18. zitty, adj. 1971–
19. Ziv, n. a1382–
20. zizania, n. 1526–
21. zizany, n. a1400–1803

## Etymology

### Summary

A borrowing from German.
Etymon: German Zither.
< German Zither, †Zitter, †Zitther (see cither n.…
< German Zither, †Zitter, †Zitther (see cither n.).

### Notes

In the β forms apparently showing alteration after both cittern n. (compare also gittern n.) and the German plural form Zithern.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1831–
   A musical instrument of central European origin, having four or five strings over a fretboard for sounding the melody and thirty to forty accompanying strings without frets, all running the length of a flat shallow resonator box, and played by striking or plucking the strings.
   1. 1831

      > With only the assistance of a zitter, or German guitar, he contrives to produce the effect of a whole band of music, and mingles together the bassoon, flute, trumpet, &c.

      London Literary Gazette 14 May 317/2
   2. 1871

      > Nothing haunted me so much as those tones of her zither.

      G. Meredith, Harry Richmond vol. II. ix. 98
   3. 1938

      > Below is the interior of the first American hostel at Northfield, Mass. Playing his zither is Julius Wahl, hostel housefather.

      Life 6 June 62 (caption)
   4. 1949

      > Mr Karas has written a tune. He is the composer and chief exponent on his zither of the ‘Harry Lime Theme’.

      Press & Journal (Aberdeen) 21 November 2
   5. 2004

      > Lederhosen-clad buskers pick out waltzes on their zithers.

      Wanderlust June 81
   music
   1. zither 1831–
      A musical instrument of central European origin, having four or five strings over a fretboard for sounding the melody and thirty to forty…
   2. qin 1839–
      A Chinese seven-stringed zither, played by plucking.
   3. zeze 1860–
      A stringed instrument of eastern and central Africa.
   4. valiha?1866–
      A type of zither, typically tubular and traditionally made from bamboo, regarded as the national instrument of Madagascar.
   5. cither 1871–
      Any of various plucked stringed instruments similar in form to, or believed to have derived from, the cithara; (in later use) esp. a zither.
   6. se 1874–
      A twenty-five-stringed plucked musical instrument, somewhat similar to the zither.
   7. autoharp 1882–
      A type of zither fitted with a series of sprung and padded bars which dampen selected strings when activated, allowing chords to be played easily.
   8. zither banjo 1888–
      A type of five-stringed banjo with a closed back and a headstock like that of a guitar, the fifth string running through a tube in the neck from…
   9. gusli 1893–
      A Russian musical instrument resembling a zither.
   10. langeleik 1907–
       An early Norwegian stringed instrument, resembling the zither.
   11. kantele 1921–
       A form of zither used in Finland and Karelia.
   12. Scheitholt 1961–
       A former stringed instrument of central Europe, a precursor of the zither.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1877–
   More generally: any of various other musical instruments consisting of a string or strings stretched across a soundboard of some type (and frequently also a resonator) without extending past the body of the instrument.
   1. 1877

      > A curious musical instrument now to be seen at a store on East Baltimore street is a Japanese koto, or zither, or harp.

      Daily Evening Bulletin (San Francisco) 14 June
   2. 1893

      > A bamboo ‘zither’, the strings of which are of reed fibers stretched over a wooden bridge.

      R. Wallaschek, Primitive Music iii. 122
   3. 1921

      > An agglomeration of sound evoked from one-string fiddles, Chinese zithers, and..drums.

      Fort Wayne (Indiana) Jrnl.-Gaz. 26 June
   4. 1964

      > Valiha, idiochord tube zither of the Malagasy Republic..made of bamboo with 7–20 strings.

      S. Marcuse, Musical Instruments 560/1
   5. 2005

      > See Syria's premier zither player Abdullah Chhadeh.

      Independent (Nexis) 1 August 10
   music
   1. sambuca c1384–
      Ancient Music. ‘A triangular stringed-instrument of a very sharp shrill tone’ (Lewis & Short).
   2. barbiton 1545–
      A many-stringed musical instrument; a kind of lyre or lute.
   3. alpharion 1599–
      = orpharion, n.
   4. barbit 1624
      = barbiton, n. (In quot. 1624 attributive.)
   5. strumstrum 1697–1728
      A rude stringed instrument (see quots.).
   6. magadis 1721–
      Used to denote what was believed to have been a type of musical instrument known in ancient Greece (see quots.).
   7. polychord 1737–
      A polychord instrument; any of various instruments having many strings.
   8. bumbass a1796–
      Any of various stringed instruments having a bass or droning tone; (now) spec. a type of folk instrument consisting of a monochord stretched on a…
   9. bell-harp a1815–
      (See quot.).
   10. pipa 1839–
       A Chinese stringed instrument resembling a lute.
   11. bandura 1846–
       A large Ukrainian stringed instrument resembling an asymmetrical lute with many strings, held vertically and plucked like a zither. Cf. pandoura, n.
   12. cavaquinho 1863–
       Chiefly in Brazil: a four-stringed musical instrument similar to a ukulele.
   13. nanga 1864–
       In central and eastern Africa: a small, simple zither or harp, consisting of (usually) seven or eight strings strung across a trough-shaped…
   14. bow 1872–
       An Indian musical instrument.
   15. Helicon 1875–
       a. An ancient acoustical instrument consisting of strings stretched over a resonance-box and capable of being adjusted to different lengths. b. A…
   16. zither 1877–
       More generally: any of various other musical instruments consisting of a string or strings stretched across a soundboard of some type (and…
   17. ukeke 1891–
       A Hawaiian stringed instrument consisting of a strip of wood with two or three strings that are played with the fingers and mouth.
   18. molo 1912–
       Among the Hausa and Songhai people of West Africa: a type of stringed instrument (usually similar to a lute), with one, two, or three strings.
   19. pluriarc 1923–
       A West African musical instrument made of a wooden resonator to which several curved rods holding taut strings are attached.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɪðə/
ZIDH-uh
/ˈzɪθə/
ZITH-uh

### U.S. English

/ˈzɪðər/
ZIDH-uhr
/ˈzɪθər/
ZITH-uhr

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

##### α.

1. 1800s
   zitther
2. 1800s–
   zither, zitter

##### β.

1. 1800s–
   zithern, zittern

## Frequency

zither typically occurs about 0.2 times per million words in modern written English.

zither is in frequency band 4, which contains words occurring between 0.1 and 1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zither, n., 1830–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1830 | 0.0023
1840 | 0.0045
1850 | 0.013
1860 | 0.029
1870 | 0.055
1880 | 0.086
1890 | 0.11
1900 | 0.13
1910 | 0.14
1920 | 0.15
1930 | 0.15
1940 | 0.16
1950 | 0.17
1960 | 0.18
1970 | 0.18
1980 | 0.17
1990 | 0.17
2000 | 0.16
2010 | 0.15

### Frequency of zither, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 0.022
2018 | 0.019
2019 | 0.017
2020 | 0.017
2021 | 0.017
2022 | 0.017
2023 | 0.019
2024 | 0.022

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zitherist, n. 1866–
   A person who plays the zither.

1. bow zither, n. 1869–
   A type of zither played with a bow.

1. viola zither, n. 1875–
   A type of zither, played with a bow, having a…

1. zither-like, adj. 1881–
   Resembling or reminiscent of a zither.

1. zither banjo, n. 1888–
   A type of five-stringed banjo with a closed back…

1. zither, v. 1889–
   intransitive. To make a sound like that of a…

1. C.1.
   1850–
   General use as a modifier, and with verbal nouns and participles forming compounds in which zither expresses the object of the underlying verb, as in zither music, zither player, etc.
   1. 1850

      > The untutored singers and zither players.

      J. von Tautphœus, Initials vol. I. iv. 101
   2. 1881

      > He was passionately fond of zither music.

      W. Black, Sunrise vol. I. iii. 43
   3. 1886

      > He is playing..on a kind of zithern-harp.

      J. Ruskin, Præterita vol. II. vi. 215
   4. 1949

      > We see the title and all the credits through a pattern of vibrating zither-strings.

      Illustrated London News 17 September 428/1
   5. 1982

      > A fun-loving, zither-playing, somewhat bohemian character.

      C. McIntosh, Swan King viii. 83
   6. 1992

      > A macabre replay of the Carol Reed-Graham Greene thriller [sc. The Third Man]..with its zither music, Ferris wheel and a mad doctor.

      New York Times 12 February c15/4
   music
   1. zither player 1850–
      General use as a modifier, and with verbal nouns and participles forming compounds in which zither expresses the object of the underlying verb, as in…
   2. zitherist 1866–
      A person who plays the zither.
   3. guslar 1891–
      One who plays the gusle; a singer of traditional epic poems.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. C.2.
   1. zither banjo, n. 1888–
      A type of five-stringed banjo with a closed back…

zither, n. was revised in March 2021.

zither, n. was last modified in December 2024.