Etymologically
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guitarist

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 01:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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