psaltery

psaltery
/sawl"teuh ree/, n., pl. psalteries.
1. an ancient musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings which are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum.
2. (cap.) the Psalter.
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      (from Greek psaltērion: “harp”), musical instrument having plucked strings of gut, horsehair, or metal stretched across a flat soundboard, often trapezoidal but also rectangular, triangular, or wing-shaped. The strings are open, none being stopped to produce different notes. The instrument, probably of Near Eastern origin in late classical times, reached Europe in the 12th century as a variety of the trapezoidal Arabic psaltery, or qānūn. It was popular in Europe until about the 15th century and developed there into several shapes, including the characteristic “boar's head”—i.e., with two incurving sides. It was plucked with the fingers or two quill plectra. Even after its decline, it continued to be played on occasion in fashionable society. It also gave rise to the harpsichord, which is a large psaltery with a keyboard mechanism for plucking the strings. Psalteries still played in European folk music include the Finnish kantele and its Baltic relatives, among them the Estonian kannel, which is bowed rather than plucked, and the Russian gusli.

      The medieval qānūn also diffused eastward across India to Indonesia and China. Still prominent in the music of Arabic-speaking countries, it is played with finger plectra and is normally triple strung.

      Psalteries are members of the zither family, instruments having strings extended across an armless, neckless frame or holder; non-Western psalteries are thus sometimes referred to as zithers. The dulcimer is a psaltery having strings that are struck with hammers rather than plucked.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Psaltery — Psal ter*y, n.; pl. {Psalteries}. [OE. sautrie, OF. psalterie, F. psalt[ e]rion, L. psalterium psaltery, psalter, from Gr. ?, fr. ?. See {Psalm}, {Psalter}.] A stringed instrument of music used by the Hebrews, the form of which is not known.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • psaltery — ancient stringed instrument, c.1300, from O.Fr. psalterie (12c.), from L. psalterium stringed instrument, from Gk. psalterion stringed instrument, from psallein play on a stringed instrument, pull, pluck …   Etymology dictionary

  • psaltery — [sôl′tər ē] n. pl. psalteries [ME psauterie < OFr sautere, psalterie < L psalterium: see PSALTER] a stringed instrument of the zither family, popular esp. in 12th 15th cent. Europe, having a modified trapezoidal body and a variable number… …   English World dictionary

  • Psaltery — Picture of a psaltery A psaltery is a stringed musical instrument of the harp or the zither family. The psaltery of Ancient Greece[1] (Epigonion) dates from at least 2800 BC, when it was a harp like instrument. Etymologically the word derives… …   Wikipedia

  • psaltery — /ˈsɔltəri/ (say sawltuhree) noun (plural psalteries) an ancient musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings which were plucked with the fingers or struck with a plectrum. {Latin psaltērium, from Greek psaltērion… …  

  • psaltery — also psaltry noun (plural teries; also tries) Etymology: Middle English psalterie, from Anglo French, from Latin psalterium, from Greek psaltērion, from psallein to play on a stringed instrument Date: 14th century an ancient musical instrument… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • psaltery — noun An ancient musical instrument, similar to a dulcimer or a zither, and played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum. And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring… …   Wiktionary

  • Psaltery —    A musical instrument, supposed to have been a kind of lyre, or a harp with twelve strings. The Hebrew word nebhel, so rendered, is translated viol in Isa. 5:12 (R.V., lute ); 14:11. In Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15, the word thus rendered is Chaldaic,… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Psaltery — Plucked stringed musical instrument. Cf. Dulcimer …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • psaltery — psal|ter|y [ˈso:ltəri US ˈso:l ] n plural psalteries [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: sauterie, from Latin psalterium; PSALTER] an ancient musical instrument with strings stretched over a board …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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