The word "romance" (rəʊmæns) can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it refers to a love affair or a feeling of excitement, and as a verb, it means to court or woo. The spelling of the word is based on French, and it comes from the Old French word "romanz," which means a narrative in verse. The spelling reflects the French pronunciation of the word, which is why the final "-e" is silent. The IPA transcription of the word suggests that the first syllable is stressed and pronounced as "ro," followed by "mæns."
Romance is a multifaceted term with various interpretations, encompassing emotional, imaginative, and social aspects. It is often associated with an intimate relationship between two individuals characterized by love, passion, and desire. In this context, romance represents an intense emotional connection between two people, marked by sentiments of affection, sweetness, and tenderness.
However, romance extends beyond romantic relationships, and the term can also refer to a genre of literature, music, or art characterized by idealized, imaginative narratives of love, often involving heroic or extraordinary individuals. Romantic literature, for instance, commonly focuses on themes such as chivalry, courtly love, and idealized relationships, evoking strong emotions and a sense of admiration for profound, often tragic, passion.
Furthermore, romance can also describe a state of mind or an attitude characterized by a sense of excitement, anticipation, and enchantment. It encompasses the notion of indulging in pleasurable experiences, such as candlelit dinners, heartfelt gestures, and poetic expressions, to create an atmosphere of allure and sentimentality.
Additionally, romance can refer to a romantic quality or appeal found in various aspects of life, such as the beauty of nature or the charm and elegance of historical periods. It relies on the appreciation of aesthetics, sentiment, and the pursuit of idealized experiences, often serving as a source of inspiration or escapism.
Overall, romance is an intricate concept that encapsulates the notion of love, passion, idealism, and enchantment, manifested in various forms and expressions throughout literature, art, relationships, and individual experiences.
• A name applied to those languages of southern Europe which grew out of the literary Latin of Rome, and the ordinary spoken dialects of anc. Italy, in the different provinces of Roman Europe, and which became the popular languages; in Sp., the term came to signify a ballad; in Eng., first applied to translations from the French, and subsequently a story of fiction, a sense the word had acquired in French; any tale of wild adventure in love or war resembling those of the middle ages.
• Sprung from the literary Latin and the dialects of anc. Italy.
• To lie; to deal in extravagant stories.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "romance" originates from Old French and ultimately derives from the Latin word "Romanice", meaning "in the Roman manner". "Romanice" referred to the spoken vernacular languages derived from Latin that were used in the Roman Empire. Over time, "Romanice" came to be associated specifically with the vernacular languages spoken in Western Europe, which evolved into the Romance languages, such as French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. In these languages, the term "romance" took on the meaning of a story or poem written in the vernacular language, as opposed to Latin, which was used for formal and scholarly purposes. This sense of "romance" as a narrative genre eventually extended to include tales of chivalry, love, adventure, and idealized relationships, leading to its current meaning today.