lute

Where does the word "lute" come from? It comes from Arabic al-'ud, passing through Old French before entering English (medieval).

Lute’s story begins in Arabic: al-'ud meant “a wooden stringed instrument.” Literally "the wood", the Arabic stringed instrument. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as lut. From Arabic 'al-ʿūd', the wood; crusaders and Moorish Spain brought the instrument to Europe. It reached English by medieval as lute. Settled as the English name for the instrument. Today, lute means a pear-shaped stringed musical instrument, popular before the guitar.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval al-'ud "a wooden stringed instrument", literally "the wood", the Arabic stringed instrument.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval lut "a stringed instrument", from Arabic 'al-ʿūd', the wood; crusaders and Moorish Spain brought the instrument to Europe.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval lute "a pear-shaped stringed instrument", settled as the English name for the instrument.