dilettante

Pronunciation

• IPA: /dɪlɪˈtænti/, /dɪləˈtɒnti/ (UK); /ˈdɪlɪˌtɑnt/, /ˈdɪlɪˌtænt/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian dilettante (“lover of music or painting”),^[2][3] the present participle of Italian dilettare (“to delight”),^[4][5][2] from Latin dēlectō (“to delight, charm”).^[4][5][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A lover of the fine arts, who pursues them for love rather than as a profession (1733).^[6][2][3]

Semantic evolution

At first the word had no negative tone and meant a devoted amateur.^[3][6] By contrast with the professional, it took on the pejorative sense “superficial, affected dabbler” in the late 18th century,^[3] and this is now the main meaning.^[4][5][7]

Timeline

• 1733 – a lover of the fine arts.^[6][2][3]
• 1748 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.^[5]
• 1753 – adjective, characteristic of a dilettante.^[6]
• late 18th century – a superficial dabbler.^[3]
• 1835 – dilettantism.^[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A person who takes up an art or subject superficially, for amusement; a dabbler.
2. A lover of the fine arts; a connoisseur.

Adjective

1. Superficial; amateurish.

Word family

• dilettantish
• dilettantism

Related words

• delectable
• delight
• amateur

Usage notes

The word comes from Italian, not French, so its -ante ending is not feminine and it applies to anyone.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House