Arena

I've just returned from a holiday in Italy -- first Rome and then Puglia in the south. I whipped out my notebook there on numerous occasions because I learnt lots of word-related facts. At the Colosseum I learnt that the word 'arena' comes from the Latin word harena meaning 'sand'.

 

The word 'arena' initially meant the central part of a Roman amphitheatre. Sand was spread on the ground in order to absorb the blood of the dead and injured. By extension, the word began to be used for the whole amphitheatre.

 

The English word 'arena' has lost the sense of 'sand' these days, but there are a few scientific words beginning 'arena-' that are still connected with sand eg arenaceous (having the appearance or consistency of sand) and arenation (an old term meaning 'the application of hot sand to the body as a medical remedy').

Comments

[John]

I find it interesting that these days, at least here in the US, sports "arenas" are normally indoor venues. Open or retractable-roof venues are predominantly referred to as "stadium", or to a lesser degree "field" or "park"