fabliau

[ fab-lee-oh; French fa-blee-oh ]

/ ˈfæb liˌoʊ; French fa bliˈoʊ /

a short metrical tale, usually ribald and humorous, popular in medieval France.

Origin of fabliau

1795–1805; < French; Old North French form of Old French fablel, fableau, equivalent to fable fable + -el diminutive suffix; see -elle

The dramatic germ contained in the fabliau and quickened by the mystery produces the profane drama.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 2 |Various
The fabliau takes every phase of life for its subject; the folk-song acquires elegance and does not lose raciness and truth.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 2 |Various
The stories were translated into French, and thus gave rise to the Fabliau, which allowed full expression to the esprit Gaulois.

The Palace of Pleasure, Volume 1 |William Painter
This suggests the likelihood of a source which combined traits of both lai and fabliau: Warnatsch, pp 62-64.

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (Volume I of 5) |Various

It is a mistake to suppose, as is frequently done, that every legend of the middle ages is a fabliau.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 |Various

fabliau

/ (ˈfæblɪˌəʊ, French fɑblijo) /

a comic usually ribald verse tale, of a kind popular in France in the 12th and 13th centuries

C19: from French: a little tale, from fable tale