"Keith G" wrote


No, it's the name of a pricey microphone company:

http://www.lautenaudio.com/index.htm




See the wacky Castrol GTX guitar at 13 secs. on this promotional video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W5j-...ayer_embedded#

Dave said:

Isn't Lauten simply the German for lute?

If translation were simple, and if lutes were simple, this
might have been a simple rhetorical question. But what is
its intended meaning?

Ian

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:01:51 -0000, "David"
wrote:

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
Went to an antiques fair today and found this, which was clearly
irresistible. Made in 1880, it is a lauten - a cross between a lute
and a guitar, and it sounds brilliant.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/look/lauten.jpg

d

Isn't Lauten simply the German for lute?


Could well be - I haven't started researching it in detail yet.

d

Don Pearce wrote:

Isn't Lauten simply the German for lute?


Could well be - I haven't started researching it in detail
yet.

I can't find any evidence that "lauten" is an established
English word, whether loaned from the German or not.

The definition of a lute isn't clear. It could be that only
the body is the defining feature, in which case yours looks
like a lute to me.

It could also be that your instrument is of a particular
type originated in a German-speaking country, and because it
doesn't fall within the limits of what would be called a
lute in English, its German name was used, but never widely
enough to be considered an English word.

All in all, it seems it is either a lute, or you can call it
whatever you want. However, if you call it a Lauten, someone
will say "Isn't that simply the German word for a lute?".

Isn't "maisonette" simply the French word for a small house?

Ian

"David" wrote in message
...
"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
Went to an antiques fair today and found this, which was clearly
irresistible. Made in 1880, it is a lauten - a cross between a lute
and a guitar, and it sounds brilliant.

http://www.soundthoughts.co.uk/look/lauten.jpg

d

Isn't Lauten simply the German for lute?

That's "laute"

The books which I have don't list "lauten" but that
is not to say that such a instrument did not exist:-)

As Keith mentioned, Lauten is also an American mic
manufacturer (just added that to placate those who
might otherwise shout "OT" :-))))

There were many lute guitars (hybrids)
made in the 19th C. Don seems to have
found a good example of one of these

Iain

Isn't Lauten simply the German for lute?

That's "laute"

But nouns have several forms in German:

http://www.canoo.net/services/Contro...es=%28Cat+N%29

Also the plural is Lauten, and maybe that would be the most
likely form to find on a label.

Ian