proscenium

English

WOTD – 4 October 2009

Alternative forms

• proscænium

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin proscaenium (“in front of the scenery”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek προσκήνιον (proskḗnion), from πρό (pró, “before”) + σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene building”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹəʊˈsiː.ni.əm/
• IPA^(key): /pɹoʊˈsiː.ni.əm/

Noun

proscenium (plural prosceniums or proscenia)

1. (in a modern theater) The stage area between the curtain and the orchestra.
2. (in an ancient theater) The stage area immediately in front of the scene building.
3. (in an ancient theater) The row of columns at the front the scene building, at first directly behind the circular orchestra but later upon a stage.
   • 1936, Roy C. Flickinger, The Greek Theater and Its Drama, 4th edition, page 58

     The front of the scene-building and of the parascenia came to be decorated with a row of columns, the proscenium (πρό, "before"+σκηνή).

4. A proscenium arch.
   • 1979, J.G. Ballard, The Unlimited Dream Company, chapter 19:

     Screamers trumpeted from the roof of the supermarket, white storks rattled their bills as their surveyed the town from the proscenium of the filling-station.

Coordinate terms

• auditorium
• episcenium
• logium
• orchestra

• parascenium
• parodus
• thymele

Translations

modern theatre: stage area between the curtain and the orchestra

• Bulgarian: авансце́на f (avanscéna)
• Catalan: prosceni m
• Danish: proscenium n
• Greek: προσκήνιο (el) n (proskínio)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: tuaaroaro
• Polish: proscenium (pl) n, przedscenie n
• Russian: авансце́на (ru) f (avanscéna)
• Spanish: proscenio (es) m
• Tagalog: prosenyo

ancient theatre: stage area immediately in front of the scene building

• Catalan: prosceni m
• Danish: proscenium n
• Greek: προσκήνιο (el) n (proskínio)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: proscaenium n
• Polish: proscenium (pl)
• Russian: проске́ниум m (proskénium)

ancient theatre: row of columns at the front the scene building

• Catalan: prosceni m
• German: Bühnenfassade
• Greek:

  Ancient: προσκήνιον n (proskḗnion)

  Modern: προσκήνιο (el) n (proskínio)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

proscenium arch — see proscenium arch

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Danish

Noun

proscenium n (singular definite prosceniet, plural indefinite proscenier)

1. proscenium

Inflection

Declension of proscenium

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	proscenium	prosceniet	proscenier	proscenierne
genitive	prosceniums	prosceniets	prosceniers	prosceniernes

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Latin

Alternative forms

• proscaenium

Etymology

From Ancient Greek προσκήνιον (proskḗnion), from πρό (pró, “before”) + σκηνή (skēnḗ, “scene building”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /prosˈkeː.ni.um/, [prɔs̠ˈkeːniʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /proʃˈʃe.ni.um/, [proʃˈʃɛːnium]

Noun

proscēnium n (genitive proscēniī or proscēnī); second declension

1. proscenium

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	proscēnium	proscēnia
Genitive	proscēniī proscēnī1	proscēniōrum
Dative	proscēniō	proscēniīs
Accusative	proscēnium	proscēnia
Ablative	proscēniō	proscēniīs
Vocative	proscēnium	proscēnia

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Descendants

• → English: proscenium
• French: proscénium
• Italian: proscenio

References

• “proscenium”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• proscenium in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.