▁as ▁a ▁female ▁stock ▁character ▁in ▁opera ▁and ▁theatre . ▁The ▁term ▁arrived ▁in ▁English ▁from ▁Pro ven ç al ▁via ▁French , ▁and ▁means ▁" con ce ited " ▁or ▁" co y ". ▁A ▁sou bre tte ▁is ▁also ▁defined ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁regarded ▁as ▁fl irt ati ous ▁or ▁f riv ol ous . ▁ ▁Theatre ▁In ▁theatre , ▁a ▁sou bre tte ▁is ▁a ▁comedy ▁character ▁who ▁is ▁vain ▁and ▁gir lish , ▁m isch iev ous , ▁light heart ed , ▁co qu ett ish ▁and ▁g oss ip y — o ften ▁a ▁chamber ma id ▁or ▁conf id ante ▁of ▁the ▁ing én ue . ▁She ▁often ▁displays ▁a ▁fl irt ati ous ▁or ▁even ▁sex ually ▁ag gress ive ▁nature . ▁The ▁sou bre tte ▁appeared ▁in ▁comm edia ▁dell ' arte ▁scenarios , ▁often ▁in ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Columb ina , ▁where ▁the ▁actress ▁would ▁provide ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁her ▁behavior ▁and ▁dialog ue . ▁From ▁there , ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁M oli ère , ▁which ▁were ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Comm edia ; ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁Dor ine ▁in ▁T art uff e ▁( 1 6 6 4 ) ▁fits ▁the ▁description . ▁A ▁famous ▁example , ▁though ▁a ▁hundred ▁years ▁later , ▁is ▁Su z anne ▁in ▁Be aum arch ais ' ▁Le ▁Mari age ▁de ▁Fig aro ▁( 1 7 8 4 ). ▁ ▁Opera ▁In ▁classical ▁music ▁and ▁opera , ▁the ▁term ▁sou bre tte ▁refers ▁to