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guitarist

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Etymology and origin of the English word guitarist

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1771 Annual Register
Ultimate origin
Latin cithara
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English guitar
English guitarist

Pronunciation

  • /ɡɪˈtɑɹɪst/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English guitar + -ist.[2][3][4][5] The OED compares Spanish guitarrista.[2] Guitar comes from French guitare, ultimately from Latin cithara.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who plays the guitar: 1771, in the Annual Register for 1770.[2] OED 1989 and Etymonline give 1770,[6][3] and Dictionary.com and the Random House dictionary 1760–70.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1760–70 – the date range of Dictionary.com and the Random House dictionary.[4][5]
  • 1770 – first date in OED 1989 and Etymonline.[6][3]
  • 1771 – a player of the guitar, in the Annual Register.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who plays the guitar: The band's guitarist wrote most of their songs.[7][2]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Guitarist.” Etymologically, 26 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/guitarist. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·