Where Did Segue Come from?

The standard spelling segue comes from the use of the word's Italian root as a direction in music, indicating a transition without interruption.

Why is segue pronounced Segway?

This segue was adopted into English from Italian, where segue means "there follows." The other segway is actually a trademark: it refers to a motorized, two-wheel personal vehicle. The confusion is understandable: both segway and segue share a pronunciation, and the spelling segway looks more logical to us than segue.

When was the word segue first used?

“Segue first shows up in English in 1740,” Curzan describes. “But for almost 200 years, it's used primarily as an Italian term, to refer to proceeding from one movement to another in a musical piece without a break.” It is not until 1958 that segue is used in common English.