'athenee' originates from French, specifically the word 'athénée', which ultimately comes from Latin 'athenaeum' and Greek 'Athenaîon' (Ἀθήναιον), originally referring to a temple of Athena.

'athénée' in modern French derived from Latin 'athenaeum', which itself came from Greek 'Athenaîon' (a place associated with the goddess Athena). The French term was borrowed into English as a name or loanword (often without the accent) and used to denote schools, libraries, or institutions.

Initially, the root referred to a place associated with Athena (a temple or scholarly place). Over time the meaning shifted to denote institutions of learning, libraries, literary societies, or schools, which is how it is used in modern contexts.