trouvère

[ troo-vair; French troo-ver ]

noun

, plural trou·vères [troo-, vairz, t, r, oo-, ver].

1. one of a class of medieval poets who flourished in northern France during the 12th and 13th centuries, wrote in langue d'oïl, and composed chiefly the chansons de geste and works on the themes of courtly love.

trouvère

/ truvœr; truvɛr; truːˈvɛə /

noun

1. any of a group of poets of N France during the 12th and 13th centuries who composed chiefly narrative works

Word History and Origins

Origin of trouvère¹

1785–95; < French; Old French troveor, equivalent to trov ( er ) to find, compose ( trover ) + -eor < Latin -ātor -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of trouvère¹

C19: from French, from Old French troveor , from trover to compose; related to troubadour

Example Sentences

He is a poet in the primitive sense of the word, or, as he styled himself in one of his books, a "trouvère."

From Project Gutenberg

Expansion, however, so difficult to some writers, was never in the least a stumbling-block to the trouvère.

From Project Gutenberg

There were, perhaps, trouvère-knights in the garrisons of Edessa or of Jôf who could have told us all about it.

From Project Gutenberg

Rutebœuf, a noted French trouvère of the thirteenth century, gives us a quaint picture of a scene frequently witnessed in his day.

From Project Gutenberg

He supported himself, like a trouvère, by his proficiency in verse.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• troubadour