One of the many terms for the medieval Gittern; the term was later used for a small guitar. From at least the 13th century the small, lute-like, treble plucked instrument was known as the quitaire, quinterne or guisterne in French, the gyterne (later gittern) in English, the quintern(e) in German, the guitarra in Spanish, and the chitarra or chitarino in Italian. It was not until well into the 16th century that these terms began to be applied to various small guitars. Under the name Mandore the instrument survived in France into the early 18th century, while under the names mandola and mandolino (see Mandolin) it survived in Italy into the 20th.
JAMES TYLER