jongleur

[ jong-gler; French zhawn-glœr ]

noun

, plural jon·gleurs [jong, -glerz, zhaw, n, -, glœr].

1. (in medieval France and Norman England) an itinerant minstrel or entertainer who sang songs, often of his own composition, and told stories.

jongleur

/ ʒɔ̃ɡlœr /

noun

1. (in medieval France) an itinerant minstrel

Word History and Origins

Origin of jongleur¹

1755–65; < French; Middle French jougleur (perhaps by misreading, ou being read on ), Old French jogleor < Latin joculātor joker, equivalent to joculā ( rī ) to joke + -tor -tor

Word History and Origins

Origin of jongleur¹

C18: from Old French jogleour, from Latin joculātor joker, jester; see juggle

Example Sentences

While challenging the truism that troubadour song was invented by noblemen, he gives short shrift to the wandering jongleurs who sang in medieval taverns and hostelries.

From Los Angeles Times

As a modern troubadour, mining the social perspective of the chansons réalistes, Aznavour was the inheritor of a French tradition that can be traced back to the entertainment of the medieval jongleur.

From The New Yorker

The jongleur looks up at him and grins.

From Literature

The other difference is that Tagore wasn’t a jongleur, that is, a singer of his own songs, though he might well have wanted such a career among his several.

From The Guardian

And the said jongleurs came from the household of the bishop,” ib.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• crooner
• minstrel
• songwriter