▪ I. gittern, n. arch.
(ˈgɪtən)
Forms: 4–5 gitern(e, 4–6 gytern(e, (5 getarne, -erne, -yrne, gittyrn), (6 getron, githorn, guthorne), 6–7 gitterne, (7 gittron, gytterne), 7, 9 ghittern, 8 guiterne, 6– gittern.
[a. OF. guiterne, guisterne, etc. (obs. since 16–17th c.) of obscure formation. The form guiterre also occurs; usually believed to represent an altered form of Gr. κιθάρα cithara. Cf. guitar and cithern.]
An old instrument of the guitar kind strung with wire, a cithern.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 233, I can noither tabre ne trompe..ne synge with the gyterne. c 1410 Sir Cleges 101 Of harpis, luttis, and getarnys. 1571 Satir. Poems Reform. xxviii. 67 Quhair I begouth with guthorne for to dance. 1613 Leighton Teares or Lament. 70 With Drumes & Fife & Shrillest shalmes, with Gittron and bandore. 1633 Heywood Eng. Trav. ii. Wks. 1874 IV. 29 A fourth, bestrides his Fellowes, thinking to scape, As did Arion, on the Dolphins backe, Still fumbling on a gitterne. 1693 Southerne Maid's last Prayer iii. iii, Where's my Gittern? 1792 Minstrel (1793) II. 100 Elizabeth..played incomparably on the guiterne. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxiii, The same hand..can touch a tinkling lute, or a gittern, to soothe the ears of the dancing daughters of perdition in their Vanity Fair. 1879 Tennyson Falcon, You know that I can touch The ghittern to some purpose. |
b. attrib., as gittern-head (cf. cittern-head in cithern 2), gittern-wire.
| 1599 Massinger, etc. Old Law iv. i. (1656) 47 The Heads of your Instruments differ, yours are Hogs-heads their Cittern and Gittern heads. 1662 Irish Act 14 Chas. II, c. 8 Bk. Rates, Wire called..Virginal and Ghittern wire. |
▪ II. † ˈgittern, v. Obs.
[f. prec. n.]
intr. To play on the gittern.
| c 1380 [see the vbl. n.]. c 1400 Rom. Rose 2322 To harpe and gitterne, daunce and play. c 1525 Tale of Basyn 82 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 47 He harpys and gytryns and syngs well ther-too. a 1674 Milton in Birch Life (1738) I. 44 Each evening every one with Mistress or Ganymed, gitterning along the Streets. |
Hence † ˈgitterning vbl. n.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 9 Knackynge and harpynge, gyternynge & daunsynge & oþere veyn triflis. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 177 He syngeth in his voys gentil and smal..Ful wel acordaunt to his gyternynge. |