role
UK: rəʊl | US: roʊl
n. a function or position that someone or something has in a situation or activity
n. a character or part played by an actor in a performance
n. the expected behavior associated with a particular status or position in society
role = roll<scroll> + e (silent ending)
- roll (from Old French rolle, meaning "scroll" or "list") originally referred to a parchment scroll used in medieval theater to list an actor’s lines. Over time, it evolved to signify the part an actor played.
- The silent -e is a common feature in French-derived English words, preserving spelling but not pronunciation.
Etymology Origin:
The word role traces back to the Old French rolle, derived from Latin rotula (a small wheel or scroll). In medieval theater, actors’ lines were written on rolled parchments, leading to the term role for an actor’s part. By the 17th century, it broadened to mean any assigned function or position.
She played the role of Juliet in the school play.
Teachers have a crucial role in shaping students’ futures.
His role in the project was to manage the budget.
Gender roles in society have evolved over time.
The software’s primary role is to streamline data analysis.