English
minstrelsy
Minstrelsy comes from Old French menestrel ‘minstrel’, from Medieval Latin ministralis ‘servant, jester, singer’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *minōs ‘less’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*minōs‘less’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*minosteros‘lesser, smaller’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEminister‘attendant, servant, slave, waiter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEministerium‘service’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEministerialis‘imperial household officer, one having an official duty’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ministralis‘servant, jester, singer’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400menestrel‘minstrel’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400menestralsie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500minstralcie
- Englishearliest quotation 1828minstrelsy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*minōs‘less’reconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*minosteros‘lesser, smaller’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEminister‘attendant, servant, slave, waiter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEministerium‘service’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEministerialis‘imperial household officer, one having an official duty’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ministralis‘servant, jester, singer’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400menestrel‘minstrel’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400menestralsie
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500minstralcie
- Englishearliest quotation 1828minstrelsy
Earliest quotation: 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology: “Orfeo makes his way into this palace, and so…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mey- ‘to attach, bind, strengthen’
mean, community, common, met, commission, communication, mess, meal, mutual, communicate, communist, commit, immune, compromise, min, missile, mere, ammunition, immunity, communism, municipality, communal, dismiss, mole, minus, communion, premise, mural, ammo, mayhem, noodle, moor, commune, remuneration, intermittent, mite, omit, monolith, meiosis, communiqué, 72 more
through Proto-Italic *minuō ‘to lessen, make smaller’
minute, menu, minuet, minutia, 8 more
through Proto-Italic *minōs ‘less’
through Latin minister ‘attendant, servant, slave, waiter’
minister, administration, 3 more
through Latin ministerium ‘service’
Today it means
noun The musical and other art and craft of a minstrel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *minōs / minstrelsy