French word

luth

Pronunciation

IPA/lyt/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlute

Example

Il joue du luth.

He plays the lute.

Illustration for luth (lute)

More examples

On a admiré le son du luth pendant le concert.

We admired the sound of the lute during the concert.

Core concept

An old-style plucked instrument held against the body, with a domed body and fretted neck supporting vocal accompaniment.

Similar words

guitare: A flat-bodied, fretted string instrument with about six strings, played with fingers or a pick.
piano: A large keyboard instrument that uses hammers to strike strings for chords and melodies.
violon: A string instrument played with a bow, chiefly for carrying the melody.

Definition in French

Instrument à cordes pincées caractérisé par une caisse bombée et un manche fretté, souvent employé pour accompagner le chant dans la musique ancienne.

Word origin

French luth is ultimately borrowed from Arabic al-'ud and reached French through related medieval forms such as Spanish laúd and Italian liuto.

Usage tips

  • The masculine noun luth takes un and du, as in il joue du luth.

Word lists with this word