maestro Italian · revision 38343

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 11th or early 12th century, Pisan naval account|origins=la magis}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /maˈɛs.tro/, /maˈes.tro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''maestro''' ''m'' (plural maestri, feminine maestra)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include [[roa-oit|maiestro]], [[roa-oit|maistro]] and [[roa-oit|mastro]].^(DEI|2309)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|magister|t=chief, master; teacher]], continuing the accusative case.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The /g/ between vowels was lost before a front vowel, as in [[dito]], and the shorter [[mastro]] is a doublet.^(Devoto 1968)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The Latin noun lives on in most Romance languages: [[fr|maître]], [[oc|maestre]], [[es|maestro]] and [[sc|mastru]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) DÉRom reconstructs a Proto-Romance noun meaning both “person in authority” and “person qualified to teach”, and notes that in some languages the inherited word was ousted by loans, from German in the school and, from Italian in music.^(DÉRom) Latin also lent it to [[goh|meistar]], the source of [[de|Meister]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|2309)

+

+ The Latin noun was formed from [[m|la|magis|t=more]] with the suffix [[m|la|-ter]], which set one of two against the other: it meant “the greater one”, the head, in contrast with [[m|la|minister|t=servant, helper]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto 1968) At first a word of politics and religion, it came to mean a schoolmaster as well.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI finds ''maestro di mannaia'', a master craftsman working with the axe, in a Pisan naval account of the late 11th or early 12th century.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The sense “a person skilled enough in something to teach it” is recorded before 1294 in Guittone d'Arezzo, who says the pupil holds his art from his master: “ten lo scolar dal so maestro l'arte”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th and 14th centuries the word covered teachers of particular subjects, master craftsmen (Dante, 1304–1308), the founder of a school of thought, and a leader or guide: Dante calls Aristotle “'l maestro di color che sanno” (the master of those who know).^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(GRADIT 2003) As an adjective it meant “principal” before 1363, in Matteo Villani, the sense kept in ''strada maestra'' and ''albero maestro'' (mainmast).^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The northwest wind and its compass point were called ''maestro'' from the 13th century;^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Prati 1951|615) Brunetto Latini's translator says the sailors gave it the name, and Bartolomeo Crescenzio explained in 1602 that it was the master of navigation in the Mediterranean.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Prati 1951|615) From it came ''maestrale'', before 1424.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The musical sense, a composer or conductor, is recorded as ''mastro'' in 1582 and as ''maestro'' in 1585, in Torquato Tasso; the sense “primary-school teacher” appears only in 1815, in the Milanese press.^(DELI 1999) In the musical sense the word passed to English, French and German: Etymonline dates English ''maestro'' from 1797, and DIFIT dates the musical sense in French from 1817.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 11th or early 12th century – ''Maestro di mannaia'' appears in a Pisan naval account.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''maestro'' for a person able to teach others.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 13th century – The word is used for the northwest wind.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses it for a master craftsman.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1363 – Matteo Villani uses it as an adjective, “principal”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1424 – ''Maestrale'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1585 – Torquato Tasso uses it for a composer or conductor.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1724 – The musical sense is recorded in English.^(DIFIT)

+ * 1815 – The sense “primary-school teacher” appears in the Milanese press.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person so expert in a field as to teach it or serve as a model; a [[m|en|master]]: ''È considerato un maestro della fotografia di paesaggio.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A primary-school [[m|en|teacher]]: ''Il maestro ci ha dato un tema da scrivere.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A teacher of a particular skill or activity, as in ''maestro di sci'' or ''maestro di ballo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(music)'' Title of a professional musician, especially a [[m|en|conductor]] or composer.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # A master [[m|en|craftsman]] who directs others, as in ''maestro muratore''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(art history)'' The leading artist of a school; also the name given to an anonymous artist known from a group of works.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(meteorology)'' The northwest point of the compass and the wind blowing from it, also called [[maestrale]].^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Principal, main, as in ''strada maestra'' (main road) and ''muro maestro'' (main wall).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[maestra]]

+ * [[maestrale]]

+ * [[maestranza]]

+ * [[maestria]]

+ * [[ammaestrare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mastro]]

+ * [[magistrale]]

+ * [[ministro]]

+ * [[la|magister]]

+ * [[en|maestro]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Colpo da maestro'' is a masterstroke, ''lavoro da maestro'' a piece of work done to perfection, and ''farla da maestro'' to act the know-all.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020) The stressed vowel may be open or closed: ''maèstro'' or ''maéstro''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}