ballade
|bal-lade|
/bəˈlɑːd/
dance-song; narrative/lyrical piece
Etymology
'ballade' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'ballade', ultimately from Provençal 'balada' and Italian 'ballata', where the root comes from Latin 'ballare' meaning 'to dance'.
'ballare' (Latin) produced Provençal/Italian forms like 'balada'/'ballata', which entered Old French as 'ballade' and later was adopted into Middle English and modern English as 'ballade'.
Initially, it referred to a 'dance' or 'dance-song'; over time it came to mean a fixed poetic form in medieval French literature and, separately, a narrative or lyrical musical composition.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a medieval French fixed-form poem, typically consisting of three main stanzas and a shorter concluding stanza (envoi), with a recurring refrain.
The scholar published an article on the structure of the 14th-century ballade.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a musical composition of a narrative or lyrical character, often a solo piano work (e.g., Chopin's Ballades).
He performed the Chopin ballade with great intensity.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 21:29