Petit Robert (Dictionnaire de la langue francaise) has the following etymology: 1549; _vault de ville_ 1507; altér. de _vaudevire_ (XVe) "chanson de circonstance", mot norm., probablt de _vauder_ "tourner" et "virer"..... - the last word has practically the same meaning Jan Ivarsson jan.ivarsson at transedit.st