Cancionero

/ˌkænsjoʊˈneɪroʊ/ noun

Definition

A collection of songs or poems; a songbook or anthology, particularly of Spanish or Latin American compositions.

Etymology

From Spanish 'cancion' (song) plus '-ero' (a suffix meaning 'collection of' or 'person associated with'). The term was used in Spanish literary history for important medieval manuscript collections.

Kelly Says

Medieval Spanish 'cancioneros' were like medieval Spotify playlists—scribes would copy down popular songs and poems into these books, and historians now use them to understand what people actually enjoyed singing centuries ago.

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