Troubadour

[a. F. troubadour (16th c. in Godef., Compl.), ad. Prov. trobador (= Cat. trobador, Sp., Pg. trovador, It. trovatore), agent-n. f. Prov. trobar, Sp., Pg. trovar, It. trovare, F. trouver to find, invent, compose in verse; cf. TROUVÈRE.

  The origin of the verb itself is questioned. As it exists in most of the Romanic langs., it is generally held to be late popular L. Diez explained it as formed by metathesis from L. turbāre to disturb, through the sense ‘turn up.’ Cf. for the form F. troubler, OF. trubler, from late L. *turbulāre: see Etymol. Wörterbuch, ed. 4, s.v.; cf. also the Neapol. controvare from L. conturbāre. Another conjecture in Du Cange would take the Romanic forms from med.L. tropus, TROPE sb. 5, a verse or versicle, whence *tropāre. Both of these, and other conjectures, present difficulties.]

  One of a class of lyric poets, living in southern France, eastern Spain, and northern Italy, from the 11th to the 13th centuries, who sang in Provençal (langue d’oc), chiefly of chivalry and gallantry, sometimes including wandering minstrels and jongleurs.

1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The poesy of the troubadours consisted in sonnets, pastorals, songs [etc.].

1767.  Percy, Rel. Anc. Eng. Poetry (ed. 2), I. p. xxvii. The Troubadours of Provence … are supposed to have led the way to the poets of Italy, France, and Spain.

1801.  Strutt, Sports & Past., III. iii. 162. The troubadours brought with them into the north a new species of language called the Roman Language…. It evidently originated from the Latin, and was the parent of the French tongue.

1833.  Longf., Outre-Mer, Prose Wks. 1886, I. 94. The lyre of the Troubadour seems to have responded to the impulse of momentary feelings only,—to the touch of local and transitory circumstances.

1884.  Tennyson, Becket, Prol. I am a Troubadour, you know, and won the violet at Toulouse.

  b.  transf. One who composes or sings verses or ballads; also, a composer or writer in support of some cause or interest.

1826.  J. M. Sherer, Refl. Ramble Germany, Introd. 24. At the inn here I found a young German troubadour. He sung ballads for me, accompanying himself on the guitar.

1840.  Dickens, Old C. Shop, li. He’s quite a Troubadour, you know.

1861.  Goldw. Smith, Inaug. Lect., 32. Novels and poems by the troubadours of the landed interest.

1869.  B. Taylor, Byeways of Europe, I. 227. The Majorcans still have their troubadours, who are hired by languishing lovers to improvise strains.

  c.  attrib.

1883.  Chambers’ Encycl., IX. 560/2. The extent of territory on which the troubadour poetry was cultivated—viz. … France south of the Loire; Catalonia, Valencia, and Aragon in Spain; and part of Upper Italy.

1887.  Miss R. H. Busk, Folk Songs Italy, 122. The influence of the troubadour songs of Provence is scarcely felt beyond the region of Piedmont in the songs of the people.

1898.  Lady Mary Loyd, trans. Uzanne’s Fashion in Paris, iii. 55. Towards the close of the [First] Empire, when troubadour fashions came in.

1902.  Chaytor, Troubadours Dante, Introd. 19. The great feature of the troubadour love-poetry is the glorification of the married woman.

  Hence Troubadourish a., pertaining to, or having the character or style of a troubadour, or of the poetry of the troubadours (whence Troubadourishly adv.); Troubadourism, the character, principles, or style of the troubadours; Troubadourist, one who writes in the style or studies the productions of the troubadours (in quot. attrib.).

1849.  Fraser’s Mag., XL. 448. ‘Effeminate and *troubadourish,’ I thought.

1864.  Pearson, in Spectator, 245/2. Blondel … maintained the honours of his troubadourish name by a patriotic Latin poem ‘Complanctus Bonorum Gallicorum.’

1873.  H. P. Spofford, in Harper’s Weekly, 19 July, 626/1. Andrew Renton had a graceful manner with him that was captivating: he had a troubadourish. sort of beauty.

1905.  Daily Chron., 17 May, 3/3. The troubadourish, unworldly, exquisite passionateness of it all.

1880.  G. Meredith, Tragic Com., xiii. (1892), 184. The pleading was not done *troubadourishly, in soft flute-notes.

1855.  Mrs. W. Busk, Mediæval Popes, etc., II. 417. These Minnesinger were mostly Swabians, who, by their Alsatian and Swiss frontiers, were in immediate contact with the Arelat, the very cradle of *troubadourism.

1898.  Lady Mary Loyd, trans. Uzanne’s Fashion in Paris, Introd. 7. The stiff lines and starched manners of a sham Troubadourism.

1875.  Richard De Dicke, in Grip, V. 31 July.

1901.  Daily Chron., 18 Dec., 3/6. Tiptoft, whose … career … is entirely lacking in troubadourist qualities, good or bad.