trouvère

American  

[troo-vair, troo-ver] / truˈvɛər, truˈvɛr /

noun

plural

trouvères

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.

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trouvère British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of trouvère

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

Example Sentences

We seldom know the name of the trouvère by whom these anecdotes were versified.

From Handbook of Universal Literature From the Best and Latest Authorities by Botta, Anne C. Lynch

In conception and expression is he essentially an artist and not an irresponsible trouvère.

From The Function of the Poet and Other Essays by Lowell, James Russell

As an old trouvère says: "The lover does not leave his beloved but with the sanction of his soul."

From Jean-Christophe Journey's End by Cannan, Gilbert

The chansons had a common form, or something very like it, which almost dispensed the trouvère from devoting much pains to the individual conduct of the story.

From The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory (Periods of European Literature, vol. II) by Saintsbury, George

But the vogue of this story was very largely increased by a trouvère who used not prose but octosyllabic verse for his medium.

From A Short History of French Literature by Saintsbury, George

Related Words

• troubadour