[rohl] 
| 1. | a part or character played by an actor or actress. |
| 2. | proper or customary function: the teacher's role in society. |
| 3. | Sociology. the rights, obligations, and expected behavior patterns associated with a particular social status. |
| role (rōl) n.
[French rôle, from Old French rolle, roll of parchment (on which an actor's part was written), from Latin rotula, diminutive of rota, wheel; see roll.] Word History: We all play many roles in life, such as parent or teacher, and it is not difficult to see how this sense of the word role is related to its meaning in the theater. Role, which is first recorded in English in 1606, came to us from French already having the sense "a part one has to play." The word rôle in its earlier history (Old French rolle) had meant "a roll, as of parchment," particularly with reference to a manuscript roll. The word could also mean "a legal document" or "a list or register." From such uses it also came to refer to the text from which an actor learned a part. This use brought the word into the world of the theater where it has played an important role ever since. The theatrical meaning was then generalized to include parts played off the stage. |
role or rôle (rōl)
n.
The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual.
role
in sociology, the behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a given social position or status. A role is a comprehensive pattern of behaviour that is socially recognized, providing a means of identifying and placing an individual in a society. It also serves as a strategy for coping with recurrent situations and dealing with the roles of others (e.g., parent-child roles). The term, borrowed from theatrical usage, emphasizes the distinction between the actor and the part. A role remains relatively stable even though different people occupy the position: any individual assigned the role of physician, like any actor in the role of Hamlet, is expected to behave in a particular way. An individual may have a unique style, but this is exhibited within the boundaries of the expected behaviour.
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