stadium

Where does the word "stadium" come from? It comes from Greek stadion, passing through Latin before entering English (1600s).

Stadium’s story begins in Greek: stadion meant “a unit of distance; a racecourse.” A unit of length, and the footrace held over that distance at Olympia. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as stadium. Adopted for the venue where such races were held. It reached English by 1600s as stadium. Settled as the English word for a large sports venue. Today, stadium means a large, usually roofless venue for sports events, with tiered seating.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient stadion "a unit of distance; a racecourse", a unit of length, and the footrace held over that distance at Olympia.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient stadium "a racecourse or arena", adopted for the venue where such races were held.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s stadium "a large venue for sports and spectacles", settled as the English word for a large sports venue.