matinee

Where does the word "matinee" come from? It comes from Latin matutinus, passing through French before entering English (1800s).

Matinee’s story begins in Latin: matutinus meant “of the morning.” By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as matinée. Came to mean the morning itself, then a daytime performance. It reached English by 1800s as matinee. Adopted for an afternoon theatrical performance, and later for afternoon film showings. Today, matinee means an afternoon performance of a play, film, or other entertainment.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient matutinus "of the morning", meaning "of the morning".
2. Stage 2 · French · medieval matinée "morning; a daytime show", came to mean the morning itself, then a daytime performance.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s matinee "an afternoon performance", adopted for an afternoon theatrical performance, and later for afternoon film showings.