A harpist, especially one who plays a traditional harp without pedals.
"The village elder invited the local harper to play ancient ballads on her pedal-less instrument during the festival."
In plain English: A harper is someone who plays music on an old stringed instrument called a harp.
"The harper played a lively tune on his instrument by the campfire."
Usage: Use this term to refer specifically to someone playing the pedal-less Irish or Celtic harp rather than a general harpist. It distinguishes players of these traditional instruments from those performing on modern concert harps with foot-operated mechanisms.
An occupational surname, from occupations for a player of the harp.
"The local choir was led by Mrs. Harper, whose family name traces back to her ancestors' skill as professional harp players."
The word "harper" comes from the Old English term hearpere, which originally meant a person who plays the harp. It entered modern usage by combining the instrument's name with the suffix "-er" to denote someone skilled at playing it.