Where does “romance” come from?

romance (Dutch) comes from German Romanze, from French romance, from Spanish romance, from Old French romanz, from Latin rōmānicē, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

romance (Dutch): an emotional popular-historical epic ballad

Definitions

  1. an emotional popular-historical epic ballad

Ancestry of “romance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanRomanzeromance
2Frenchromancea ballad; a love song; first-person singular...
3SpanishromanceRomance; romance, love affair; romance
4Old FrenchromanzOld French; a story in Old French; account
5Latinrōmānicēin the Roman manner
6Latinly; used to form adverbs from adjectives
7Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
8Latincalceusshoe
9Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
10Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξEvery word from Latin dis-Every word from Latin
romance — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer