luth
/lyt/masculine
The French word for the stringed instrument lute is luth.
Meaning: stringed instrument (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/lyt/
Did you know?
- The French word luth actually shares an ancient ancestor with the Arabic word for 'wood', al-ʕūd. This reflects how the instrument's material became its name as it traveled from the Middle East to Europe.
- While the instrument is called a luth, the French word for the specific part of a stringed instrument called the 'neck' is manche, which also means 'sleeve' or 'handle'.
- While luth refers to the instrument, the French language uses the term lutherie to describe the highly specialized art of making and repairing these stringed instruments.
Examples in context
- Ce musicien est connu pour sa virtuosité au luth.This musician is renowned for his virtuosity on the lute.
- Il joue du luth dans l'orchestre.He plays the lute in the orchestra.
- Le son du luth est très doux.The sound of the lute is very soft.
- Elle a trouvé un vieux luth au grenier.She found an old lute in the attic.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at an old instrument in a museum.
- HugoEst-ce que c'est un luth ancien ?Is that an ancient lute?
- ChloéOui, Hugo, c'est un magnifique luth.Yes, Hugo, it is a magnificent lute.
- HugoLe bois semble très ancien.The wood looks very old.
- ChloéC'est vrai, il est très précieux.It's true, it is very precious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lute” translations and entries luth, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries luth, CC BY-SA 4.0.
