Skip to content

liutaio

luthier, string instrument maker

noun lyoo-TAH-yoh Rare

Origin: From liuto (lute) + -aio (craftsman suffix); liuto from Arabic al-oud

Usage Note

Liutaio originally meant a lute maker but today refers to any maker of stringed instruments — violins, cellos, guitars. Cremona, home of Stradivari, is considered the world capital of liuteria (the craft). The feminine is liutaia; the craft itself is liuteria.

Examples

"Il liutaio di Cremona costruisce violini pregiati."

Natural Translation

The luthier from Cremona builds fine violins.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Italian by topic