curtain

Where does the word "curtain" come from? It comes from Late Latin cortina, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Curtain’s story begins in Late Latin: cortina meant “hanging, curtain.” Used in the Latin Bible for the hangings of the Tabernacle. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cortine. Hung around beds and doorways to keep out draughts. It reached English by 1300s as curtain. The theatre curtain, and 'curtains' meaning the end, came later. Today, curtain means a piece of cloth hung to cover a window or screen a stage.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient cortina "hanging, curtain", used in the Latin Bible for the hangings of the Tabernacle.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cortine "bed curtain", hung around beds and doorways to keep out draughts.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s curtain "a hanging cloth screen", the theatre curtain, and 'curtains' meaning the end, came later.