1) One of the many tales in verse popular at this time. Many dealt with legends and fables; others told chivalric stories or those involving heroic adventures. [< OldFr. romanz]
2) The French language as used in this period, being distinct from Latin. More recently, the term includes all languages descended from Latin as a distinct language group. [< OldFr. romanz]
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.