vaudeville English · revision 351

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈvɔ.d(ə).vɪl/, /ˈvəʊd.vɪl/ ''(UK)''; /ˈvɔː.d(ə)ˌvɪl/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|vaudeville]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) an alteration, influenced by ''ville'' “town”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) of [[frm|vaudevire|t=popular satirical song]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) This is possibly short for ''chanson du Vau de Vire'' “song of the valley of Vire”, in Normandy,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) a name first given to the songs of the 15th-century poet Olivier Basselin of Vire;^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) alternatively it may come from dialectal ''vauder'' “to go” and ''virer'' “to turn”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A light popular song, often satirical or topical, especially one sung on the stage.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From the popularity of such songs in France grew a kind of theatre made of light comic pieces, often parodies, interspersed with songs,^(Etymonline) recorded in English from 1827.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate) The word later came to mean a stage show of many short acts by comedians, singers, dancers, acrobats and the like.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1735 – a country song, by Etymonline's date;^(Etymonline) the OED and Barnhart give 1739 and RHWU 1730–40.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU)

+ * 1827 – a light theatrical piece with songs.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Stage entertainment made up of a variety of short acts by comedians, singers, dancers, acrobats and others; a variety show.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A light comic theatrical piece combining dialogue, pantomime, dance and song.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A popular, often satirical song.^(AHD)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vaudevillian]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}