English
maestro
Maestro comes from Italian maestro ‘master’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagisteras magistrum‘master’
- Italianc. 1300–presentmaestro‘master’
- Englishearliest quotation 1992same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagisteras magistrum‘master’
- Italianc. 1300–presentmaestro‘master’
- Englishearliest quotation 1992same form
Earliest quotation: 1992, Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang: “You've never been on a ride like this before;…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- ‘big’
much, majority, merino, 7 more
through Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’
mastery, masterly, magisterium, 6 more
through Latin magister ‘master’
master, mistress, magistrate, meister, magisterial, magister, 9 more
Today it means
noun A master in some art, especially a composer or conductor.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *magisteros / maestro