ChatterBank8 mins ago
London's Circus
1 Answers
What is the origin of the word 'circus' in various London places such as Picadilly Circus and Oxford Circus?
Answers
Only 1 answer
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by iwbus. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
The source is the Greek word 'kirkos' and Latin 'circus'. Both referred to circular arrangements...eg a building, a place of entertainment, a street configuration - as in Oxford Circus - etc. Since shows of various kinds such as gladiator-combats or whatever took place in such places in ancient times, we then got the idea of 'circus' meaning just that, as in 'Big Top'.
Only 1 answer
