role, role, role your boat

[arethinn]

Does anyone know why the word "role", as in "a role in a play", is often spelled with a circumflex, "rôle"? Generally to me this would indicate a pronunciation guide, that is, that the default pronunciation is something other than "roll" (as said in American English, anyway), so we need the circumflex to tell us the right way. What is this other "default" way? "rahl"? I can't figure it out.

Comments

[starlightforest.livejournal.com]

So this was "rosle"?

[jarandhel.livejournal.com]

"French rôle, from Old French rolle, roll of parchment (on which an actor's part was written)" http://www.answers.com/role&r=67

[stonemirror.livejournal.com]

Seems doubtful, but who knows? My grasp of French etymology isn't as good as my grasp of French...