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lyricist

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Etymology and origin of the English word lyricist

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1881 A. Austin, in Macmillan's Magazine More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek λύρα
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English lyric
English lyricist
From the same root
English lyrical ← lyric

Pronunciation

  • /ˈlɪɹ.ɪsɪst/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English lyric + -ist.[2][3][4][5] Lyric comes from French lyrique or Latin lyricus, from Ancient Greek λυρικός (lurikós, “singing to the lyre”), from λύρα (lúra, “lyre”).[2][3] An older word for a lyric poet is lyrist, from lyriste and lyristes, which first meant a player on the lyre.[3][2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

One skilled in or devoted to lyric composition, a lyric poet: 1881, in an article by A. Austin in Macmillan's Magazine.[2] Merriam-Webster also gives 1881 as the first known use,[7] Dictionary.com dates the word to 1880–85,[5] and Etymonline finds the sense "lyric poet" as early as 1832.[3]

Semantic evolution

The word followed its base. Lyric as a noun first meant a lyric poem, and by 1876 it was also used for the words of a popular song;[3] from 1909 lyricist likewise meant a writer of such words, for songs, operas and musical plays.[2][3][4] Etymonline dates this sense to 1908.[3] The song-writing sense is now the usual one, while the older sense "lyric poet" is shared with lyrist.[6][7]

Timeline

  • 1881 – one skilled in lyric composition, a lyric poet.[2][7] Etymonline dates this sense to 1832.[3]
  • 1909 – a writer of the words of songs.[2][4] Etymonline gives 1908.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who writes the words of songs, especially for popular music, opera or a musical: He was the lyricist for two West End musicals.[6][7][2]
  2. A lyric poet; a lyrist.[6][2]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  7. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Lyricist.” Etymologically, 13 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/lyricist. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·