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artista

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word artista

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1250, Oxford formularies
Ultimate origin
Latin ars
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin ars
French art
Italian arte
English art
Latin artista
Italian artista
From the same root
Latin sollers ← ars

Forms

artista m (genitive artistae); first declension[1][2]

Etymology

It is from Latin ars (“skill, art”), a Medieval Latin derivative.[3][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The DMLBS has it from about 1250 in the Oxford formularies, of students of the liberal arts at the university.[2]

Semantic evolution

In the universities it was the usual word for a student or graduate of the liberal arts, as distinct from students of theology or law: Hugo of Trimberg contrasts an artista with a decrētista, a student of canon law, and Du Cange glosses magister artista as a master of arts.[1][5][4] It also meant a craftsman or tradesman: Salimbene names money-changers et aliī artistae.[1][4][2] Du Cange records it in 1409 for an artilleryman,[5] and in Neo-Latin Campanella uses it of craftsmen, from whom he says more real philosophy can be learned than in the schools.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1250 – Oxford documents use it of students of the arts.[2]
  • 1280 – Hugo of Trimberg contrasts the artista with the student of canon law.[3][1]
  • 1282–1287 – Salimbene uses it of craftsmen and tradesmen.[1][3]
  • 1409 – A Paris account uses it of an officer of the king's artillery.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A student or graduate of the liberal arts;[4][2][5] magister artista, a master of arts.[4][2][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) One skilled in the liberal arts.[1][5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A craftsman, artificer, tradesman.[4][1][2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) An artilleryman.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e f g du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  6. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de

Borrowed into

Cite this entry

“Artista.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/artista. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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