Entertaiment is amusement, often involving a performance. The clown at a kid’s birthday party, the Broadway show, a stadium rock concert, your friends fighting over the last potato chip – all are forms of entertainment. The word comes from the Old French term entretenir, which also meant ‘to hold together’ and was associated with hospitality – keeping guests happy by entertaining them. This power to entertain is reflected in one of the most famous stories in professional storytelling tradition, the story of Scheherazade, whose ability to tell compelling stories saved her life.
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