Where does “theatre” come from?
Theatre comes from Middle English theatre, from Old French theatre, from Latin theatrum, from Ancient Greek θέατρον, derived from θεάομαι meaning "to view," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "one who sees."
theatre (English): Alternative spelling of theater
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of theater
Ancestry of “theatre”, step by step
theatre traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English theater
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | theater | A theatre open to the sky; an amphitheatre; Any... |
| 2 | Old French | teatre | theater |
| 3 | Latin | theātrum | A theatre or theater, playhouse; stage |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | θέατρον | theatre, gathering place; play, spectacle |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
via Old French theatre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | theatre | Alternative form of teatre |