Beguine
/bɛˈɡiːn/noun
A member of a lay religious community of women, or a style of slow dance and music associated with the Caribbean and Latin America.
Did you know?The origin of *beguine* is uncertain, but it is widely linked to the medieval Beguines—lay religious women whose name may have been tied to the pejorative *beggar* or to a personal name like Lambert le Bègue, showing how a once-suspicious label became a cultural term.
Etymological Timeline
13th Century
Middle French
beguine
“A woman belonging to a lay religious community, especially in the Low Countries.”
13th Century
Medieval Latin
beguina
“A Beguine; a member of a semi-religious female association.”
13th Century
Middle Dutch
begghine / beghine
“A Beguine, likely a member of the religious movement.”
Late Middle Ages
French
beguin / beguinage
“Terms associated with Beguines and their communities or houses.”
20th Century
French/English
biguine / beguine
“A Caribbean dance style and its music, later borrowed into English.”