Marquee
/mɑːrˈkiː/noun
A large canopy over a doorway or stage, or a tent used for events; also, in North American English, a sign over a theater entrance displaying the title.
Did you know?Marquee entered English through French from a word for a tent or pavilion, and its history is tied to elite display: the same root also gave us English words like mark and march, both built around the idea of a boundary or sign.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mereg-
“to scratch, mark, or border”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*markō
“boundary, border, sign”
Old French
French
marquee
“a tent or pavilion, especially for a person of rank”
17th Century
English
marquee
“a large tent or canopy, especially for public events”
20th Century
English
marquee
“an illuminated sign above a theater entrance”