Rigadoon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lively dance popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, characterized by a series of rapid, cheerful movements
2. A musical form accompanying a specific type of dance, often marked by a brisk tempo
3. A playful, intricate social gathering or performance featuring this festive style of dancing

Etymology: The rigadoon is a lively dance in duple time, and its name points to Provence in southern France, where the "rigaudon" was a dance associated with the region's festive gatherings. The English form is simply the French word anglicized, so the spelling change is the main visible shift in the word's journey into the language. Where the name itself comes from remains unknown. Some have guessed a link to the Hebrew word for "dances," "rikudim," or to the Arabic word for "dance," "raqs," but neither connection can be confirmed, and the word's true ancestry may simply be lost. What is clear is that the dance traveled from French court and village traditions into English, where the word now names both the dance and the playful gatherings built around it.