sirvente means A typically satirical song sung by the troubadours of Provence. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “sirvente” is a great word
A satirical or political song or poem composed by the troubadours of medieval Provence. From French sirvente, from Old Provençal sirventes, sirventesc (originally, a poem concerning a sirvent), from sirvent (one who serves, e.g., a soldier), from servir (to serve), from Latin servīre (to serve). Unlike the canso, a polished love lyric for a lady’s ear, or the sestina, a virtuoso structure of echoing lines, the sirvente is defined by its servile, contentious content. It is the rasp of a steel gauntlet against mail, the scent of woodsmoke in a crowded hall, and the sharp, public laughter that follows a well-aimed insult—a reminder that the most enduring service is often to truth, not power.
Etymology
Borrowed from French sirvente, from Old Provençal sirventes, sirventesc, originally, the poem of, or concerning, a sirvent, from sirvent, properly, serving, n., one who serves (e.g., as a soldier), from servir (“to serve”), from Latin servīre.
noun
- A typically satirical song sung by the troubadours of Provence.“The knight in the meantime, had brought the strings into some order, and after a short prelude, asked his host whether he would choose a sirvente in the language of oc, or a lai in the language of oui, or a virelai, or a ballad in the vulgar English.”