Minstrel

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪnstɹ(ə)l/

Definitions

1. A musical entertainer known for performing songs and poetry, often sharing historical tales and cultural stories in a traditional setting
2. A wandering performer skilled in storytelling through song and verse, typically associated with medieval courts and festivities
3. A performer of poetry and music who narrates stories, often in a historical context, and is typically linked to medieval or folk traditions

Etymology: A minstrel was once a household servant before it was a singer. The word comes from Late Latin "ministerialis," a term for an official or retainer who owed household and military service to a feudal lord. Through Old French "menestrel," it came to mean any kind of artisan, servant or worker, and only later narrowed to the performers who travelled from hall to hall with songs and stories. The Latin root is "minister," meaning servant, attendant or agent, which also gave English "ministerial." Among the senses recorded in Middle English, the word could describe an actor, a juggler, a storyteller, or even a soldier who sounded a horn as a signal, and each of these was a kind of attendant.

Synonyms: bard, poet, singer, troubadour, musician