audience

The story

1. Latin · derived fromaudientia
2. Old French · derived fromaudience
3. Middle French · derived fromaudience
4. Middle English · inherited fromaudience
5. English todayaudience

From Middle English audience, from Middle French audience, from Old French audience, from Latin audientia, from present participle audiēns (“hearing”), from verb audiō (“to hear”). Doublet of audiencia.

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. A group of people within hearing; specifically, a large gathering of people listening to or watching a performance, speech, etc.
• from 14th c. Hearing; the condition or state of hearing or listening.
• from 16th c. A formal meeting with a state or religious dignitary.
• from 19th c. The readership of a book or other written publication.
• from 20th c. A following.