This instrument was originally derived from a Middle Asian oriented Turkic instrument named Kopuz (wide-bodied version) by Arabs. Arabs called it "al-oud". After Egypt, it became famous and world-wide. It was called "luth", "liuto", "laud", "Luit", "Laute" and finally "lute" in Europe. Since Turks know "al-" word in Arabic works as a determiner like the word "the", they dropped it and called it just "ud".