Cenas

Cenas is a term that appears in several Romance languages with different meanings depending on the language. In Spanish, cena means the evening meal, and cenas is the plural referring to multiple dinners. In Italian, cena also means dinner, but the plural is cene. In Portuguese, cena means scene, and cenas is the plural of that sense; the ordinary term for dinner is ceia or jantar. All of these derive from Latin cena, meaning meal, which evolved differently in each language.

Spanish usage: Cena denotes the evening meal. The verb cenar means to dine. Common phrases include cena de gala (gala dinner). La Última Cena is the standard title for The Last Supper.

Italian usage: In Italian, cena means dinner; the plural is cene. The form "cenas" is not standard Italian and would be considered incorrect.

Portuguese usage: In Portuguese, cena means scene (as in theater or film). The plural cenas means scenes. Dinner is not referred to as cena; the words ceia or jantar are used instead.

Origin and cross-linguistic notes: The common root is Latin cena, which meant meal. The sense shifted differently in the Romance languages, producing the various meanings observed today. Because of such differences, the word "cenas" can be ambiguous without context, especially for speakers or readers who encounter it across languages.