marie de france: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (C2/Proficiency)Formal, Academic, Literary-Historical
Quick answer
What does “marie de france” mean?
A 12th-century poet, the first known female French writer, known for her collection of lais (verse narratives) and fables.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A 12th-century poet, the first known female French writer, known for her collection of lais (verse narratives) and fables.
The name refers both to the historical literary figure and, by extension, to her body of work. In academic contexts, it can also denote the specific Anglo-Norman French dialect and literary style characteristic of her writing.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage. The name is spelled and pronounced identically in both contexts. Awareness of the figure is similarly confined to specialized academic circles.
Connotations
In both varieties, the name carries connotations of medieval literature, early feminism in literature, and foundational French/English literary history.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language; appears only in specific literary, historical, or gender studies contexts. No measurable difference between UK and US frequency.
Grammar
How to Use “marie de france” in a Sentence
[Subject: Scholar/Student/Text] + [Verb: discusses/analyzes/translates] + Marie de France[Prepositional Phrase: In the works of] + Marie de FranceVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Frequent in medieval literature, French studies, English literature, and gender studies departments. Used in scholarly papers, course titles, and critical analyses.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used as a specific referent in literary history and manuscript studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “marie de france”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “marie de france”
- Misspelling as 'Mary of France'.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'a marie de france').
- Incorrect capitalization: 'marie de France'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Her name is a modern convention; she likely lived and wrote in England, at the Anglo-Norman court. 'De France' probably indicated she was ethnically or linguistically French.
Lais are short narrative poems, often in octosyllabic verse, typically dealing with themes of romance and the supernatural, derived from Celtic Breton tales.
No. Her identity is unknown. The name was assigned to her by a 16th-century scholar based on a line in one of her poems: 'Marie ai nom, si sui de France' (My name is Marie, and I am from France).
She is the first known woman to have written narrative poetry in French, and her works are crucial for understanding the development of medieval romance literature and the transmission of Celtic themes into French and English traditions.
A 12th-century poet, the first known female French writer, known for her collection of lais (verse narratives) and fables.
Marie de france is usually formal, academic, literary-historical in register.
Marie de france: in British English it is pronounced /məˌriː də ˈfrɑːns/, and in American English it is pronounced /məˌri də ˈfræns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MARy (Marie) who is FROM (de) FRANCE, writing stories in a FRANtic medieval scriptorium to preserve them for the future.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FOUNDATIONAL PILLAR (of French literature/an early female voice).
Practice
Quiz
Marie de France is primarily known for writing in which language?