plaza

Where does the word "plaza" come from? It comes from Latin platea, passing through Spanish before entering English (1800s).

Plaza’s story begins in Latin: platea meant “broad street, open area.” Meaning "broad street". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as plaza. Came to mean a public town square. It reached English by 1800s as plaza. Spanish colonial towns were laid out around a central plaza under the Laws of the Indies (1573). Today, plaza means a public square or open area in a town or city.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient platea "broad street, open area", meaning "broad street".
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval plaza "a public square", came to mean a public town square.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s plaza "a public square or open area", Spanish colonial towns were laid out around a central plaza under the Laws of the Indies (1573).