Roundelays

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of traditional group dance characterized by participants dancing in a circular formation accompanied by music and often involving singing ; a short circular poem or refrain typically used in songs ; a decorative circular design or emblem often found in art or heraldry
2. A communal dance performed in a circle involving rhythmic steps and music ; a brief recurring refrain or stanza in poetry and song ; a round ornamental motif found in visual designs or crests
3. A folk dance done in a ring with coordinated movements and sometimes vocal elements ; a poetic form featuring a repeated circular phrase used in lyrical compositions ; a circular graphic element symbolizing unity or identity in artistic contexts

Etymology: "Roundelays" is the plural of "roundelay," a word that came into English from Middle French "rondelet," a diminutive of Old French "rondel," itself a form of "rondeau," meaning a round or circle. The word's circular sense is built right into its history: the French name points to the shape of the thing before any particular song or dance was attached to it. The ending is less settled. Scholars have suggested it comes either from "lay," a term for a ballad or sung poem, or from "virelay," a related French verse form with a repeating refrain. The two possibilities are plausible, so the final syllable may reflect a song tradition as much as the circle itself. That blend of circularity and song explains why the word covers both a dance performed in a ring and a short poem built around a returning refrain.

Synonyms: round dances, circle dances