different between psaltery vs psalter

English

Alternative forms

• psaltry

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French psalterie, from Latin psalt?rium, from Ancient Greek ????????? (psalt?rion, “stringed instrument, psaltery, harp”), from ????? (psáll?, “to touch sharply, to pluck, to pull, to twitch”) and in the case of the strings of musical instruments, “to play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and not with the plectron”.

Noun

psaltery (plural psalteries)

1. (music) A zither-like musical instrument consisting of a soundboard with multiple strings, played by plucking the strings with the fingers or a plectrum.

   And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. (Nehemiah 12:27, KJV)

Usage notes

In the King James Version of the Bible, "psaltery" is used as a translation for certain words whose referent isn't known: the Hebrew ??????? (kli) and ?????? (nével), and the Aramaic ??????????????? (psanterín).

Derived terms

• bowed psaltery
• psalterist, psalteryist

Related terms

• psalter
• psalm

Translations

See also

• Appendix:Glossary of chordophones

Anagrams

• Spratley, Tarpleys, plastery, pterylas

English

Alternative forms

• sauter (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English sauter, psauter, from Old French sautier, psaltier, from Latin psalterium (“a stringed instrument like a lute”), from Ancient Greek ????????? (psalt?rion, “a harp”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s??lt?(?)/
• Rhymes: -??lt?(?)
• Homophone: salter

Noun

psalter (plural psalters)

1. The Book of Psalms. Often applied to a book containing the Psalms separately printed.
2. Specifically for Anglicans, the Book of Common Prayer which contains the Book of Psalms. For Catholics, the Breviary containing the Psalms arranged for each day of the week.
3. In the Roman Catholic Church, a rosary consisting of one hundred and fifty beads, corresponding to the number of the Psalms.
4. (obsolete or rare) psaltery (the musical instrument).
   • 1635, John Cousturier, The second tome of the Holie Bible, Psalm 32:2, page 66:

     Confesse ye to our Lord on the harpe: on a psalter of ten strings sing to him.

   • 1849, Sir John Graham Dalyell, Musical Memoirs of Scotland, T. Constable, page 206:

     Perhaps the viol d'amour underwent several modifications, as its name was changed to psalter in the belief of its being the ancient instrument so denominated, which is quite different, according to most authorities — not belonging to the fidicinal tribe.

   • 1875, Edward H. Knight, Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary, J. B. Ford and Company, page 1499:

     Some have supposed that the psalter was not in fact an instrument, but that the term was applied merely to harmony produced by the voice in conjunction with instruments.

Related terms

• psaltery

Translations

See also

• psalter on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Alperts, Plaster, Platers, palster, palters, persalt, plaster, plastre, platers, replats, stapler