historicaster

English

Etymology

From Latin historicus (historical) + -aster (suffix denoting incomplete or partial resemblance, and hence sometimes having a derogatory connotation).[1] Historicus is derived from historia (history) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives), and is modelled after Ancient Greek ῐ̔στορῐκός (hĭstorĭkós, historical), from Ancient Greek ῐ̔στορῐ́ᾱ (hĭstorĭ́ā, systematic observation, inquiry; knowledge or written account of such an inquiry) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Ῐ̔στορῐ́ᾱ (Hĭstorĭ́ā) is from ῐ̔στορέω (hĭstoréō, to ask, inquire; to examine, observe; to record) (from ῐ̔́στωρ (hĭ́stōr, one who knows law and right, judge; wise man; witness), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (to see)) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /hɪstɒɹɪˈkæstə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌhɪstɔɹəˈkæstəɹ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -æstə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: his‧tor‧ic‧ast‧er

Noun

historicaster (plural historicasters)

  1. (derogatory, rare) Synonym of historiaster (an inferior historian).

Translations

References

  1. ^ Compare historicaster, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.