opera

Where does the word "opera" come from? It comes from Latin opus, passing through Italian before entering English (1600s-1700s).

Opera’s story begins in Latin: opus meant “a work.” By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Italian as opera. The plural of "opus", applied to a staged musical drama. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as opera. Italian 'work'; Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' (1607) is one of the first operas. Today, opera means a dramatic work in which the text is set to music and sung.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient opus "a work", meaning "a work".
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1600s opera "a staged musical drama", the plural of "opus", applied to a staged musical drama.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s-1700s opera "a dramatic work set to music", Italian 'work'; Monteverdi's 'L'Orfeo' (1607) is one of the first operas.