ballet

/bæˈleɪ/ French Origin Art

Original Word

ballet

French

Entered English

17th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "ballet"

From French 'ballet', from Italian 'balletto' (diminutive of 'ballo', dance), from Latin 'ballare' (to dance). Though the art form originated in Renaissance Italy, it was in France under Louis XIV that ballet was formalized with the vocabulary still used worldwide today.

Example Usage

"She has been studying ballet since she was five years old."

All French Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

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