シャンソン

Larousse derives French chanson from Latin cantionem, the accusative of cantio, "act of singing". In French, chanson can mean a song, a poem to be sung, an air for words, or a medieval lyric genre. Japanese シャンソン takes the French form chanson, but it does not cover every song in normal Japanese. The Japanese route is music and stage culture, not everyday vocabulary. Shogakukan's Seisenban gives a 1938 example in Furukawa Roppa's diary, paired with レヴィウ, or revue. Japanese reference works also point to French secular songs from the late 13th to 16th centuries and to Belle Époque popular song from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The postwar stage scene reinforced this meaning. Today シャンソン usually means French popular song, especially repertoire connected with Paris venues and singers such as Édith Piaf or Charles Aznavour. In French, une chanson can be a children's song, a pop hit, or any sung piece with words. Example: 銀座のシャンソン喫茶で歌った. English chanson is a specialist music word; Japanese シャンソン is a recognizable genre label.