arena

Where does the word "arena" come from? It comes from Latin harena, and was adopted directly into English (1620s).

Arena’s story begins in Latin: harena meant “sand.” The sand-covered floor of an amphitheatre soaked up blood. It reached English by 1620s as arena. 'political arena' dates from the 1800s. Today, arena means a level area for sports or entertainment.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient harena "sand", the sand-covered floor of an amphitheatre soaked up blood.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1620s arena "amphitheatre", 'political arena' dates from the 1800s.