fabliau

[fab-lee-oh, fa-blee-oh]

noun

plural

fabliaux 

1. a short metrical tale, usually ribald and humorous, popular in medieval France.

fabliau

/ fɑblijo, ˈfæblɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. a comic usually ribald verse tale, of a kind popular in France in the 12th and 13th centuries

Word History and Origins

Origin of fabliau¹

1795–1805; < French; Old North French form of Old French fablel, fableau, equivalent to fable fable + -el diminutive suffix; -elle

Word History and Origins

Origin of fabliau¹

C19: from French: a little tale, from fable tale

Example Sentences

“A favorite theme of the medieval fabliau is the May-December tale of the dotard husband cuckolded by his young wife,” began one book review in 1986.

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Jean de Condé is merely concerned to amuse the court of Hainault with a polished poem cast in this familiar mould, just as at other times he might regale it with the fabliau of Les Braies au Prestre or the dit of La Nonnette.

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Par Saint Pierre le bon Apostre, L'ostel aurez Saint Julien,' says Mabile to her feigned uncle in the fabliau of 'Boivin de Provins;' and a similar idea appears in 'Cocke Lorell's bote,' where the crew, after the entertainment with the 'relygyous women' from the Stews' Bank, at Colman's Hatch, 'Blessyd theyr shyppe when they had done, And dranke about a Saint Julyan's tonne.'

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And in 'Le dit des Heureux,' an old French fabliau:— 'Tu as dit la patenotre Saint Julian � cest matin, Soit en Roumans, soit en Latin; Or tu seras bien ostil�.'

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In this respect the moderns have never returned to ancient simplicity; at least the fabliau, La Bataille des Vins, introduces us to 47 kinds of French wine in the 13th century.

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