Entertaiment is a versatile, flexible and evolving concept, capable of taking many forms from the simple private amusements available on pre-recorded products to banquets tailored to suit couples; performances intended for thousands, and even global audiences. Activities such as cooking or fencing, used in hunting and war, have developed into spectator sports; and stories such as the Persian professional storytelling tradition of Scheherazade have inspired orchestral works by Rimsky-Korsakov and Ravel; film directors Pasolini and Woody Allen; and innovative video games. These demonstrates the powerful ability of entertainment to cross over into different media.
The word entertain comes from the Old French entente.