The word "guitar" has its origins in a complex history that traces back through several languages. It ultimately derives from the Greek word "kithara" (κιθάρα), which was an ancient stringed instrument. The kithara was a type of lyre used in ancient Greece and was considered a professional version of the lyre for musicians and poets. The word "kithara" made its way into Latin as "cithara," and from there it influenced various European languages. In the Arabic-speaking world, following Moorish influences in Spain, a similar stringed instrument was known as the "qītār" (قيتار), which was adapted from the same Greek term. The Spanish then further adapted this into the Spanish word "guitarra." This Spanish term arose around the time when the instrument began to develop into what we now recognize as the modern guitar. Finally, the English-language term "guitar" was borrowed from Spanish "guitarra" in the early 17th century, coming to refer to the six-stringed instrument popular today. These transformations reflect a historical blending of cultural influences and the evolution of language over centuries.