When we think of a troubadour what usually comes to mind is a lovestruck fellow serenading his sweetheart and hoping she'll appear on her balcony.
The word troubadour comes from Provence in southern France, where trobar (related to modern French trouver) means "find, invent, compose in verse." The art of serenading one's love comes from the French tradition of courtly love that began in the Middle Ages. Things have changed, though, since the days of the wandering minstrel or jongleur. Our wooing is more private, our entertainment more public, and our terminology has become more practical: We now call our troubadours "singer-songwriters" or "recording artists."
