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Origin and history of nouvelle

nouvelle(n.)

"short fictitious narrative dealing with a single situation or aspect of a character," 1670s, French nouvelle (11c.), literally "new" (see novel (adj.)). Applied by Henry James to a kind of fiction work longer than a short story and shorter than a novel.

Entries linking to nouvelle

"new, strange, unusual, previously unknown," mid-15c., but little used before 1600, from Old French novel, nouvel "new, young, fresh, recent; additional; early, soon" (Modern French nouveau, fem. nouvelle), from Latin novellus "new, young, recent," diminutive of novus "new" (see new).

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