By "lute" I refer broadly to a family of instruments with a neck and a bowl-shaped body that are plucked or strummed. Long-necked lutes seem to be oldest, with roots in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
The English word lute comes from the French luth and Spanish laúd, which come from the Arabic al'ud. The ud or oud came to Europe from the Middle East via Moorish Andalusia, and other variants spread across the Silk Road. The ud has formed migratory paths just as language families do. While the lute fell into near-disuse in Europe in the second half of the 18th century and has required a revival (what I do), it is still played in other parts of the world in unbroken traditions lasting millenia.
I will share some flavors, hopefully one every day for as long as my knowledge lasts.
This is the λαούτο laouto from mainland Greece. Crete has a larger variant. The laouto is also played in Cypress.
Now and henceforth, please refer to Youtube links for performer credits.
