Oud
The oud, a fretless Middle Eastern lute, in five languages — oud, Oud, luth arabe
Related
Five languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 乌德琴 |
| English | oud |
| Italian | oud |
| German | Oud |
| French | oud (luth arabe) |
The oud is a short-necked plucked instrument of the Arab world, Turkey and Greece, with a pear-shaped body, no frets and strings in pairs, played with a plectrum. English, German and Italian write oud; French also uses oud and often adds luth arabe. It is one of the important ancestors of the European lute, and the Chinese older forms 乌得琴 and 乌德琴 coexist (a common account).
Watch out: the oud is not the same as the lute — the oud is fretless with a short neck, while the lute has frets; the two are related, but their soundboxes and neck proportions differ. "Lute" names a European family, and the oud is a close relative rather than an equivalent.
Read deeper → The oud
Sources
- 各语种乐器名与形制，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Oud"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.