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Where does the word "genre" come from? It comes from Latin genus, passing through French before entering English (1700s-1800s).
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Where does the word "genre" come from? It comes from Latin genus, passing through French before entering English (1700s-1800s).
Genre’s story begins in Latin: genus meant “kind, type.” Meaning "kind" or "type". By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as genre. Kept the meaning of a kind or category. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as genre. Adopted for categories of art, music, and literature. Today, genre means a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient genus "kind, type", meaning "kind" or "type".
- Stage 2 · French · medieval genre "a kind, category", kept the meaning of a kind or category.
- Stage 3 · English · 1700s-1800s genre "a category of artistic work", adopted for categories of art, music, and literature.