Late Middle English; earliest use found in John Lydgate (c1370–c1449), poet and prior of Hatfield Regis. From Anglo-Norman refreid, refreit liturgical response, main theme of a discourse, use as noun of past participle of refreindre, refraindre to ring out, to sing a refrain, to provide an accompaniment for (a song) from an unattested post-classical Latin form *refrangere. Also influenced semantically by Middle French reffroy (Old French refrait, refreit, etc.) melody, birdsong, repeated words. Compare post-classical Latin refractus refrain, Old Occitan refrach.