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sit·ar

(sĭtär′, sĭ-tär)

A stringed instrument of India having a seasoned gourd for a body and a hollow wooden neck with movable raised frets. Stretched over the frets are usually 6 or 7 metal strings on which the melody is played with a pick, and stretched under the frets are 11 or more sympathetic resonating strings.

[Hindi sitār, from Persian : si, three; see trei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + tār, string; see ten- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

si·tarist n.

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sitar

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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