cabaret

Where does the word "cabaret" come from? It comes from Late Latin camera, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1650s-1912).

Cabaret’s story begins in Late Latin: camera meant “a chamber, room.” A word for a chamber or room. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as chambre. Kept the sense of a room. From there it passed into French as cabaret by 1200s. A dialectal diminutive of 'little chamber' narrowed to a small tavern. It reached English by 1650s-1912 as cabaret. Entered for a tavern, then was reborrowed for a restaurant or club offering a floor show. Today, cabaret means a restaurant or club offering food, drink, and live entertainment.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient camera "a chamber, room", a word for a chamber or room.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval chambre "a room, chamber", kept the sense of a room.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1200s cabaret "a tavern, small inn", a dialectal diminutive of 'little chamber' narrowed to a small tavern.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1650s-1912 cabaret "a nightclub offering food, drink, and entertainment", entered for a tavern, then was reborrowed for a restaurant or club offering a floor show.