Where does “theater” come from?
theater (Middle English) comes from Old French teatre, from Latin theātrum, from Ancient Greek θέατρον, from Ancient Greek -τρον, from Proto-Hellenic -tron, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
theater (Middle English): A theatre open to the sky; an amphitheatre; Any...
Definitions
- A theatre open to the sky; an amphitheatre; Any...
Ancestry of “theater”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | teatre | theater |
| 2 | Latin | theātrum | A theatre or theater, playhouse; stage |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | θέατρον | theatre, gathering place; play, spectacle |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |