Entertaiment is a multifaceted force that can bring joy, stimulate learning, and create industrial empires. It can also create negative social impacts if it is not properly regulated and exploited. This article was originally published in the Fall 2011 issue of T E News.
The word entertain comes from the Medieval Latin intertenere, which translates to “hold inside.” The prefix inter means inner, and the suffix tenere is related to the Indo-European root of the word ten, meaning stretch or flex. The word stretch is an apt metaphor for the way in which entertainment can transform, adapt, and change over time.
