cena

Cena is a term that appears in several related senses in Romance languages and as a personal name. In Latin, cena means dinner or a meal. In modern Romance languages, the word has carried into everyday usage as the noun for dinner: in Italian cen a is the evening meal, and in Spanish la cena refers to dinner. The related verbs cenare (Italian) and cenar (Spanish) mean “to dine.”

Etymology and usage notes: Cena derives from Latin cena, and its usage in Italian and Spanish reflects the historical continuity of the Latin base. In Italian, the verb cenare means to dine, with la cena denoting the meal itself. In Spanish, cenar is the verb to dine, with la cena likewise meaning dinner. The term appears in common phrases and daily speech to specify the evening meal.

As a surname and given name: Cena is used as a family name in Italian- and Spanish-speaking communities. It is most widely recognized in contemporary culture through John Cena (born 1977), an American professional wrestler, actor, and television presenter. The surname can appear in various locales and may be part of longer family names.

Overview: The word cena thus functions both as a common noun for dinner in several languages and as a personal name. Its meaning remains tied to the idea of the evening meal, while its prominence in popular culture is largely connected to individuals bearing the surname Cena.