roland

roland — noun

1. a knight in old French stories who served King Charlemagne and died bravely in a

1.nounB2
Definition

a knight in old French stories who served King Charlemagne and died bravely in a battle at a mountain pass called Roncesvalles; his story is told in The Song of Roland, one of the earliest surviving French poems.

Example

Lakan's history class learned about Roland, a famous knight from old French stories.

proper noun: legendary French knight from medieval poetry

Eshe read that Roland fought bravely at Roncesvalles alongside King Charlemagne.

Roland + fought at [place name]

Usage Note

Often appears in the context of medieval French literature or discussions of chivalric ideals. The name is familiar in European cultural references beyond the original poem.

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchEnglish

The name Roland comes from the Old French 'Rotland' (from the Germanic elements 'hrod' meaning 'fame' and 'land' meaning 'land' or 'territory' — so literally 'famous land'). It entered English through the medieval French epic poem La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland), which was written down around the 11th century. The name became a symbol of knightly courage and loyalty in European culture.