ψαλτήριον

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From ψάλλω (psállō, to touch sharply, to pluck, to pull, to twitch) +‎ -τήριον (-tḗrion), from ψάω (psáō, to touch lightly, to rub), which acquired the meaning of plucking a harp, and later making music in general.

Pronunciation

 

Noun

ψᾰλτήρῐον • (psăltḗrĭonn (genitive ψᾰλτηρῐ́ου); second declension

  1. stringed instrument, harp
  2. (Byzantine, Christianity) psalter

Inflection

Descendants

  • Aramaic: פְּסַנְתֵּרִין (psanterín)
  • Greek: ψαλτήριο (psaltírio)
  • Latin: psaltērium (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Church Slavonic: псалътꙑр҄ь (psalŭtyrʹĭ)
    • Bulgarian: Псалти́р (Psaltír)
    • Church Slavonic: псалътꙑрь (psalŭtyrĭ)
      • Romanian: psaltire
      • ? Serbo-Croatian:
        Cyrillic script: пса̀лте̄рӣј
        Latin script: psàltērīj
      • ? Slovene: psaltérij
    • Old East Slavic: псалътꙑрь (psalŭtyrĭ), Псалътꙑрь (Psalŭtyrĭ) (see there for further descendants)

Further reading