ballades
|bal-lades|
/bəˈlɑːdz/
(ballade)
dance-song; narrative/lyrical piece
Etymology
'ballade' originates from Old French 'ballade', ultimately from Italian 'ballata' (from Latin 'ballare'), where 'ballare' meant 'to dance'.
'ballade' changed from Italian 'ballata' into Old French 'ballade' and was adopted into Middle English as 'ballade', later giving the modern English 'ballade'.
Initially it meant 'a dancing-song' or 'song for dancing'; over time it developed into a literary term for a fixed-form poem and, separately in music, a narrative or lyrical instrumental piece.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'ballade': a medieval fixed-form French poem, typically consisting of three main stanzas followed by an envoi and a recurring refrain.
Scholars collected several 14th-century ballades for the anthology.
Synonyms
Noun 2
plural form of 'ballade': a lyrical or narrative musical composition (often instrumental), especially used for Romantic-era piano pieces (e.g., Chopin's Ballades).
The recital included two of Chopin's ballades.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 22:41