Etymology Map
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Scenario

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a possible sequence of events; the plot outline of a play or film

Where does the word "scenario" come from? It comes from Latin scaena, passing through Italian before entering English (1860s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
scaena
Latin · ancient
"stage"
a stage, from Greek 'skēnē', tent
2
Stage 2 of 3
scenario
Italian · 1500s
"plot outline"
the plot outline pinned up backstage for the improvising actors of the commedia dell'arte
3
Stage 3 of 3
scenario
English · 1860s
"plot; possible situation"
used for film scripts in the 1910s; Cold War planners made 'worst-case scenario' common in the 1960s
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Read the full story

Scenario’s story begins in Latin: scaena meant “stage.” A stage, from Greek 'skēnē', tent. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Italian as scenario. The plot outline pinned up backstage for the improvising actors of the commedia dell'arte. It reached English by 1860s as scenario. Used for film scripts in the 1910s; Cold War planners made 'worst-case scenario' common in the 1960s. Today, scenario means a possible sequence of events; the plot outline of a play or film.