English
roulade
Roulade comes from French roulade ‘roll, roly-poly’, and goes back to Old French roler.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400roler
- Frenchc. 1600–presentrouler‘to roll’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentroulade‘roll, roly-poly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1863same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400roler
- Frenchc. 1600–presentrouler‘to roll’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentroulade‘roll, roly-poly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1863same form
Earliest quotation: 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu: “He leaned back in his chair, and little more…”
Linked words
through French rouler ‘to roll’
Today it means
noun An elaborate embellishment of several notes sung to one syllable.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French roler / roulade