Promenade

How to spell promenade

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce promenade

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does promenade mean?

1. nounA paved public path for walking, especially one running along a seafront.
2. verbTo take a leisurely walk in a public place, often to be seen by others.

Promenade in a sentence

• noun

  The hotel overlooks the promenade and the beach beyond it.

• verb

  The couple liked to promenade slowly through the park on Sundays.

• noun

  Tourists stroll along the promenade every evening before dinner.

• verb

  Guests would promenade around the garden between courses.

Where does promenade come from?

Language of origin: French

This word came into English from French in the early 1600s, where promenade meant a leisurely walk taken for pleasure. The French noun was built on the verb promener, 'to take for a walk' or 'to lead about', which descends from the Latin prominare, meaning 'to drive forward' or 'to drive onward', as one might drive cattle ahead. That root combined pro-, 'forward', with minare, 'to drive (animals)', so the deep sense is one of moving steadily onward. Over time the idea softened from driving livestock to the gentle act of strolling, and then it transferred to the place where people stroll, especially a paved public walkway beside the sea. The spelling keeps its French shape intact, which is why the silent feel of the unstressed middle and the -ade ending trip up writers who expect an English-looking word.

How the word is built

• promen- (from French promener: to take for a walk)
• -ade (noun suffix denoting an action or its result)