piazza

Where does the word "piazza" come from? It comes from Latin platea, passing through Italian before entering English (1600s).

Piazza’s story begins in Latin: platea meant “a broad street, open space.” Meaning "a broad street" or "open space". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as piazza. Named the open public square found in Italian towns. It reached English by 1600s as piazza. Inigo Jones's Covent Garden of the 1630s was called 'the piazza'. Today, piazza means a public square or marketplace, especially in an Italian town or city.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient platea "a broad street, open space", meaning "a broad street" or "open space".
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval piazza "a public square", named the open public square found in Italian towns.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s piazza "a public square, especially in an Italian town", Inigo Jones's Covent Garden of the 1630s was called 'the piazza'.