Vaudeville

VAUDEVILLE, a French word, which has had successively four meanings: (1) a popular song, generally satirical; (2) couplets inserted in a play; (3) the play itself; and lastly (4) a theatre for plays of this kind, with songs. Most etymologists derive the word from Vaux de Vire, the name given to songs sung in the valleys (vaux) near Vire by a certain fuller and song-writer named Olivier Basselin, who died at Vire in the 15th century. His songs were collected and...