citharizo

From Ancient Greek κῐθᾰρῐ́ζω (kĭthărĭ́zō, “to play the lyre”), from κῐθᾰ́ρᾱ (kĭthắrā, “lyre”), of pre-Greek origin.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key):
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key):

citharizō (present infinitive citharizāre, perfect active citharizāvī, supine citharizātum); first conjugation

1. to play the cithara
   • 100 BCE – 24 BCE, Cornelius Nepos, Liber de excellentibus ducibus exterarum gentium Epaminodas 2.1:

     Nam et citharizare et cantare ad chordarum sonum doctus est a Dionysio, qui non minore fuit in musicis gloria quam Damon aut Lamprus, quorum pervulgata sunt nomina, cantare tibiis ab Olympiodoro, saltare a Calliphrone.

     For at the lyre and at singing in harmony with its strings he was taught by Dionysius, who is held in no less glory amongst musicians than Damon or Lamprus, whose names are ubiquitous; to sing to the flutes, by Olympiodorus; and to dance by Calliphron.

• citharizō is the sole Classical Latin borrowing of a Greek verb in -ίζω (-ízō); all other borrowings in this form took place in the Late Latin period, largely by Early Christian writers, originally in religious contexts.

• cithara
• citharista

• Italian: cetereggiare, citarizzare
• Romanian: cetereza

• “citharizo”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “citharizo”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• citharizo in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• citharizo in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016