Etymologically
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artista

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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