Etymology of the English word entertain
the English word
entertainderived from the Old French word
entretenirusing the Old French prefix
entre-derived from the Old French word
tenir (to hold)
derived from the Medieval Latin word
tenere (hold, keep; comprehend; represent; support)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*ten-Date
The earliest known usage of entertain in English dates from the 15th century.
Derivations in English
entertainer,
entertaining,
entertainment,
entertainedUsage
Word found in Modern English
