# Guitar



## ronanpoirier

That’s fun. If you say “guitar” only, people don’t know if you’re talking about this or about this. In Portuguese there is a distinction between those two instruments. However, I don’t see it in another languages. When I’m talking in English, I usually say “acoustic guitar” and “electric guitar”.
But in Portuguese we have _violão_ and _guitarra_. There are others instruments guitar-related such as the _viola _(which is a smaller "violão"; not to make confusion with _viola de arco_) but they are all translated as guitar in English.
So I’d like to know how things work in your language!

See ya! _o/


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## JAI GURU DEVA OM

well, in spanish viola could be an instrument an also taken as conjugated verbe "*violar*" to rape. ( viola = third person he/she rapes= el/ella viola)

Respect to the "acoustic" guitar, it is also called guitarra in Chile.

Hope it´s useful

Saludos


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## Chazzwozzer

It works like English in *Turkish* on this matter.

*Viola:* Viyola
*Acoustic guitar:* Akustik gitar
*Electric guitar:* elektrogitar


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## Mutichou

In French, they are called "guitare acoustique" and "guitare électrique".
But if you only say "guitare", people will think of an acoustic guitar.


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## betulina

What a nice distinction, Ronan 

In Catalan it works like in English or French: "guitarra acústica" and "guitarra elèctrica". As Mutichou said for French, if you say "guitarra" people think of an acoustic one, I think.

For us, a "viola" is your "viola de arco".


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## diamania

In dutch we say: accoustische gitaar
and electrische gitaar

( i am not sure whether accoustische is with one or two c's)


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## Outsider

Interesting question!

But, Ronan, we only call this a _guitarra_ due to the influence of English. The more logical name would be _viola eléctrica_, since for us (traditionally, at least) a _guitarra_ is something else. 

I have often wondered about why there was this difference in the English and Portuguese names -- and how it was in other languages.


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## Chazzwozzer

Mutichou said:


> In French, they are called "guitare acoustique" and "guitare électrique".
> 
> if you only say "guitare", people will think of an acoustic guitar.



Guitare électrique?

Then how come Turkish *elektrogitar* was derived from French *électro-guitare*? Is it a fake etymology or such a word exists but not used anymore in French?


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## Maja

In Serbian:

*Viola:* viola / виола 
*Acoustic guitar:* akustična gitara / акустична гитара
*Electric guitar:* električna gitara / електрична гитара


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## Fernita

In Spanish we have:

*guitarra o guitarra criolla* (guitar with nylon strings).= _violão_
*guitarra acústica* refers to hollow-bodied guitars (generally steel strings)without electric amplification. I haven´t got the picture. 
*guitarra eléctrica* (steel strings with electric amplification).= electric guitar


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## ronanpoirier

Outsider said:
			
		

> But, Ronan, we only call this a _guitarra_ due to the influence of English. The more logical name would be _viola eléctrica_, since for us (traditionally, at least) a _guitarra_ is something else.
> 
> I have often wondered about why there was this difference in the English and Portuguese names -- and how it was in other languages.


 
Now I remember reading somewhere that "violão" is related to Spanish. When the Spaniards went to Portugal with their "violões" the Portuguese people realized those were bigger than their "violas", so they decided to call it "violão".  But I'm not sure it's true, although it's possible.


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## alitza

Hello,
In Romanian, we say "chitara acustica" or, more frequently, "chitara rece" ("cold guitar") as opposed to "chitara electrica". 
Nevertheless, we only use the adjectives if the context doesn't make it clear which type of guitar we are talking about. 
If we say, for instance, : "He plays guitar in a rock band" we never say "chitara electrica" because you won't normally hear an accoustic guitar in a rock band. On the other hand, if you talk about a "guitar recital", it's obvious that we're talking about an accoustic guitar, there's no need to mention it.
As for "viola", in Romanian it is an instrument similar to the violin, but bigger and with a deeper sound.
Alitza


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## s_a_n_t_i

In japanese...

エレキギター Electric Guitar.
ガットギター String Guitar.
生ギター Acoustic Guitar.


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## Setwale_Charm

In Russian it goes:
акустическая гитара acoustic guitar
электрогитара electric guitar
струнная гитара  string guitar 
альт - viola


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## Frank06

Hi,

In Dutch:
The words for accoustic and electric guitar were already given (see above).
One minor note:
There are two basic types of accoustic guitars:
- de klassieke gitaar (also 'de Spaanse gitaar')
- de folkgitaar
One of the many, many differences is the material the (higher) strings are made of, resp. nylon and metal.

The other instrument:
Dutch has 'viool', which would be Portuguese 'viola de arco'.

There is  also the 'viola' (Dutch 'altviool',  the middle-range instrument of the violin family), and 'viola da gamba' and 'viola d'amore'.

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Whodunit

In German, there are Gitarre (or Konzertgitarre) and E-Gitarre (for: electric). This would be a viola (German: Bratsche), not to mix up with violin (Geige).


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## jester.

Whodunit said:


> In German, there are Gitarre (or Konzertgitarre) and E-Gitarre (for: electric).



Westerngitarre

Konzertgitarre


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## claudine2006

In Italian:
*Viola:* Viola
*Acoustic guitar:* Chitarra acustica
*Electric guitar:* Chitarra elettrica


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## Whodunit

jester. said:


> Westerngitarre
> 
> Konzertgitarre


 
Can you explain the difference between the two to me? You know I really have no idea of musics.


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## jester.

Whodunit said:


> Can you explain the difference between the two to me? You know I really have no idea of musics.



We might be a bit off topic, but I'll explain it to you 

Westerngitarre = steel string guitar
Konzertgitarre = nylon string guitar

I think that explains it well enough.


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## apmoy70

In Greek we distinguish between *«κλασική κιθάρα»* [kla.siˈci ciˈθa.ɾa] (both. fem.) --> _classic(al) guitar_ and *«ηλεκτρική κιθάρα»* [i.lek.triˈci ciˈθa.ɾa] (both. fem.) --> _electric guitar_.

-MoGr *«κιθάρα»* [ciˈθa.ɾa] (fem.) --> _guitar_ < Classical Gr. *«κιθάρᾱ» kĭtʰắrā* --> lit. _lyre_, later _all string instruments in general_ (for Beekes it's of Pre-Greek origin, he considers all earlier explanations from IE and Semitic incorrect).


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## dihydrogen monoxide

apmoy70 said:


> In Greek we distinguish between *«κλασική κιθάρα»* [kla.siˈci ciˈθa.ɾa] (both. fem.) --> _classic(al) guitar_ and *«ηλεκτρική κιθάρα»* [i.lek.triˈci ciˈθa.ɾa] (both. fem.) --> _electric guitar_.
> 
> -MoGr *«κιθάρα»* [ciˈθa.ɾa] (fem.) --> _guitar_ < Classical Gr. *«κιθάρᾱ» kĭtʰắrā* --> lit. _lyre_, later _all string instruments in general_ (for Beekes it's of Pre-Greek origin, he considers all earlier explanations from IE and Semitic incorrect).



Why would Beekes consider IE and Semitic origins incorrect? What would be his main arguments, if he provides one?


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## Yendred

Chazzwozzer said:


> Guitare électrique?
> 
> Then how come Turkish *elektrogitar* was derived from French *électro-guitare*? Is it a fake etymology or such a word exists but not used anymore in French?



To answer this old question, _électro-guitare _is not used in French, and was never used, as far as I know.
The three used expressions are:
_guitare (acoustique)
guitare électrique
guitare électro-acoustique _(an acoustic guitar with a plugged-in microphone to amplify its sound)


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## apmoy70

dihydrogen monoxide said:


> Why would Beekes consider IE and Semitic origins incorrect? What would be his main arguments, if he provides one?


I think you'll find many answers *HERE*


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