. VILLANELLE derives from the Italian villanella, which refers to a rustic song or dance, and which comes from villain or "peasant" or villein. Villano derives from the medieval Latin villanus, meaning "pawn". The etymology of the word relates to the fact that the original form was the pastoral theme. 1 . Song that is developed for a pastoral or folkloric dance. 2 . Poem of two rhymes, which originally had no fixed form but that from "VILLANELLE" (1606) by Jean Passerat went on to have 19 lines divided into 5 thirds and a finish of a quatrain. Despite their French origin, most villanelles are written in English.
