roman

What does the French word “roman” mean? Is it someone from Ancient Rome? Is it someone who lives in modern Rome? It’s neither – “roman” is the masculine noun meaning “novel” or “fiction” or “books.”

“Le roman” also means “The Romanesque” period of architecture, from the 11th and 12th centuries AD. It can also refer to the “Romance” language that came from popular Latin and preceded French.

You may have come across a feminine French noun, “une nouvelle.” “Une nouvelle” can mean either “a piece of news” or “a short story.” So “un roman” is a novel and “une nouvelle” is a short story. Both are false friends, meaning they are French words that look like English words, but have different meanings from the English words they resemble.

How do you talk about someone from Rome, either ancient or modern? That man is “un romain,” or in the case of a woman, “une romaine.”