oud

Where does the word "oud" come from? It comes from Arabic al-'ud, and was adopted directly into English (1738).

Oud’s story begins in Arabic: al-'ud meant “the wood, a stringed instrument.” Literally "the wood," naming the pear-shaped wooden instrument. It reached English by 1738 as oud. Entered English descriptions of Middle Eastern music. Today, oud means a Middle Eastern pear-shaped stringed instrument, the ancestor of the European lute.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval al-'ud "the wood, a stringed instrument", literally "the wood," naming the pear-shaped wooden instrument.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1738 oud "Arab lute-like instrument", entered English descriptions of Middle Eastern music.