GUITAR (Fr. Guitare, obsolete Guiterne; Ital. Chitarra; Germ. Guitarre, obsolete Gittern, Ghittern, and Gythorn; Span. Guitarra).
The Spanish guitar is the most generally known modern representative of the numerous family which includes also the lutes and cithers. The identity of the name with the Greek is not to be mistaken, but the resemblance of the Spanish and ancient Greek instruments is too remote to imply derivation. The guitar is at once known by its flat back, the sides curving inwards after...