Etymologically
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vaudeville

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /vod.vil/[1]

Forms

vaudeville m (plural vaudevilles)[1] Vau de vire (15th century), vaul de ville (1507), vaudeville (1549, Du Bellay).[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is an alteration, after ville, of “vau de vire” “topical song” (15th century, “chanson du vau de vire”, 1452–1478),[2][3][5][4] traditionally linked with the “Vau” (valley) “de Vire” in Calvados, home of the 15th-century songwriter Olivier Basselin, whose songs were successful until the early 17th century (“livre des vaux de Vire”, 1610).[2][3][6][7] Guiraud, followed by the Petit Robert, disputed this and saw a tautological compound of Norman “vauder” “to turn” (compare galvauder) and virer, naming a refrain.[3][4][8] Wiktionary also mentions “voix de ville” “voice of the town”.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Nicolas de La Chesnaye's Condamnation de Banquet (1507) has chançons de vaul de ville, topical, often satirical songs, Basselin has Ne rien chanter, senon un vau de vire.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

Under the influence of ville it was understood as a satirical song that “runs through the town” (Académie, 1694), a sense now historical.[3][9] Lesage (1721) used it for a song inserted in a fairground play, whence pièces en vaudevilles (1776), plays mixed with songs and dances, and, from 1811 (Jouy) a light comedy full of twists and misunderstandings.[2][3] Figuratively it is a situation with the light, burlesque intrigue of such plays (de vaudeville, 1830, Balzac, 1844).[2][3] Vaudevilliste dates from 1735 and vaudevillesque from 1891 (vaudevillique, Stendhal, 1832).[3] English vaudeville was borrowed in 1735, and in America came to mean a variety show.[7]

Timeline

  • 1452–1478 – Chanson du vau de vire.[2]
  • 1507 – Vaul de ville.[2]
  • 1549 – Vaudeville in Du Bellay.[2]
  • 1721 – A song in a fairground play, in Lesage.[2]
  • 1735 – Vaudevilliste, English vaudeville.[3][7]
  • 1811 – A light comedy, in Jouy.[2]
  • 1891 – Vaudevillesque.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A light comedy, farce (of intrigue and misunderstandings): les vaudevilles de Feydeau.[8][9]
  2. (figurative) A farcical situation: ça tourne au vaudeville.[8][2]
  3. (historical) A play mixed with songs and dances; a satirical popular song.[8][9]

Word family

  • vaudevilliste
  • vaudevilliste
  • vaudevillesque

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  8. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse