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Kitharion

Musical Instrument
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Kitharion: A diminutive or poetic variant of the ancient Greek kithara, a stringed instrument associated with Apollo and lyric poetry, evoking classical music and divine inspiration.

Detailed Definition
The kitharion appears in poetry as a refined, lyrical counterpart to the grand kithara; its smaller frame suggests intimacy or personal song, and poets use it to evoke the poet’s solitary voice or the delicate art of measured expression in classical contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
The kitharion’s small frame “holds lyric intimacy like a whispered name”; In a classical poem, its strings “are the poet’s private voice”; The instrument appears as “the lyre’s modest cousin for personal song”; A lyric uses kitharion to explore measured, individual expression.
Additional Notes
The kitharion—a poetic or diminutive form of the Greek kithara—appears in classical literature to denote refined, personal lyricism; in poetry, it symbolizes the intimate counterpart to grand public performance; students exploring ancient Greek aesthetics should use it to distinguish between the lyra (personal) and kithara (professional), mapping instrumental scale onto poetic modes of address and emotional scope.
Also Known As
Little kithara Small kithara
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