minstrel

minstrel
minstrel (n.) early 13c., from O.Fr. menestrel "entertainer, poet, musician; servant, workman; good-for-nothing, rogue," from M.L. ministralis "servant, jester, singer," from L.L. ministerialem (nom. ministerialis) "imperial household officer, one having an official duty," from ministerialis (adj.) "ministerial," from L. ministerium (see MINISTRY (Cf. ministry)). The connecting notion is via the jester, etc., as a court position.
Specific sense of "musician" developed in Old French, but in English until 16c. the word was used of anyone (singers, storytellers, jugglers, buffoons) whose profession was to entertain patrons. Only in 18c. was the word limited, in a historical sense, to "medieval singer of heroic or lyric poetry who accompanied himself on a stringed instrument." Reference to blackface music acts in U.S. is from 1843.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • minstrel — mìnstrel m DEFINICIJA glazb. 1. pov. a. v. menestrel b. svirač i pjevač u srednjovjekovnoj Engleskoj, putujući ili stalno na dvoru; u širem smislu zabavljač, pripovjedač, žongler, akrobat 2. šoumen u SAD u, obično kombinira pjevanje, komiku i… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • minstrel — [min′strəl] n. [ME menestrel < OFr, minstrel, servant, orig., official < LL ministerialis, imperial officer < L ministerium,MINISTRY] 1. any of a medieval class of entertainers who traveled from place to place: known esp. for singing and …   English World dictionary

  • Minstrel — Min strel, n. [OE. minstrel, menestral, OF. menestrel, fr. LL. ministerialis servant, workman (cf. ministrellus harpist), fr. L. ministerium service. See {Ministry}, and cf. {Ministerial}.] In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • minstrel — bard, troubadour, *poet, versifier, rhymer, rhymester, poetaster …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • minstrel — ► NOUN ▪ a medieval singer or musician. ORIGIN Old French menestral entertainer, servant , from Latin ministerialis officer …   English terms dictionary

  • minstrel — /min streuhl/, n. 1. a medieval poet and musician who sang or recited while accompanying himself on a stringed instrument, either as a member of a noble household or as an itinerant troubadour. 2. a musician, singer, or poet. 3. one of a troupe… …   Universalium

  • Minstrel — For the 19th century American form of music and performance known as minstrelsy, see minstrel show. For the chocolate sweets sold in the UK, see Minstrels (chocolate). For the Irish patriotic song, see The Minstrel Boy. Jongleur redirects here.… …   Wikipedia

  • Minstrel — Plakat für eine Minstrel Show von William H. West, um 1900 Als Minstrel wurde eine im 19. Jahrhundert populäre Form der Unterhaltungsmusik in den USA bezeichnet. Die Minstrel Musik begann in den 1830er Jahren bekannt zu werden und löste sich… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Minstrel — El Minstrel (usualmente en inglés, dicho en plural, los minstrels, o adjetivado, minstrelsy) era un género teatral musical, típicamente norteamericano, cuyo periodo de mayor esplendor se sitúa entre 1840 y 1900. Se trataba de un género que, de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Minstrel — Mịns|trel auch: Mịnst|rel 〈m. 6; in England u. Frankreich im MA〉 Sänger, Spielmann im Dienst eines Fürsten [engl., <afrz. menestrel „Diener, Spielmann“] * * * Minstrel   [ mɪnstrəl; englisch, von Menestrel] der, s/ s,    1) Bezeichnung für… …   Universal-Lexikon

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