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Glite Dictionary
📝 A fixed poem 👨‍🌾 A peasant 🎶 A rustic song
villanelle

villanelle

9.7
A simple country song or dance from Italy
  • noun
  • /ˌvɪləˈnɛl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : villanela
  • The musicians played a cheerful villanelle as the villagers danced in the square.

Examples

  • At the festival, everyone joined in the lively villanelle that marked the end of the harvest.

  • She learned to sing a traditional villanelle from her grandmother.

  • Did you know that a villanelle often features a repeating structure?

  • The villanelle has its roots in Italian folk traditions.

  • The children sang a joyful villanelle during the harvest festival, celebrating their rich traditions.

  • As the sun set, the villagers gathered around the fire to hear the sweet sounds of a villanelle echoing through the fields.

  • Every year, they performed a lively villanelle that highlighted their cultural heritage and brought everyone together.

Synonyms

frottola
vsvillanelle
  • Archaic
9.9

A simple Italian song from the 1500s used for entertainment

is a short rustic song or dance from Italian folk tradition
canzona
vsvillanelle
  • Archaic
9.9

A lyrical Italian song or poem from medieval to early modern times

is more a simple rural form rather than a literary or poetic piece
barcarolle
vsvillanelle
9.9

A gentle song sung by people rowing boats in Venice

is a rustic short song from inland folk rather than a boat melody

How Simple

ditty
22 5.9
villanelle
  • Archaic
9.7
folksong
1 3.0
ballad
  • Literature
62 3.7
opera
267 4.2

Surface Forms

villanelle singular
villanelles plural

Etymology

Villanelle originally named a simple Italian song or dance called the villanella, from villano and villa meaning 'country house' or 'village'. So a villanelle was a short, rustic song people would sing or dance to in the countryside.