Why Is It Called Prom?
The concept of prom is one deeply embedded in American culture — but high school kids haven’t always had to fret over tuxedos, corsages and “promposals.” The tradition isn’t all that old, comparatively speaking, having first emerged in the late 19th century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first
known written use of the word “prom” in its modern sense — as a formal dance in celebration of graduating students — appeared in a Yale college student publication from 1879. The etymological origins of “prom” go back a lot further. Its roots are found in the word “promenade,” which...
