Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “maestro” come from?

Maestro comes from Italian maestro, derived from Latin magister, the comparative form of magis meaning "more" or "greater," denoting a master or superior person.

maestro (English): A master in some art, especially a composer or...

Definitions

  1. A master in some art, especially a composer or...

Ancestry of “maestro”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianmaestroteacher; master; mast
2Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
3Proto-Italicmagisteros—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

Words derived from “maestro”

  • maestrolike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →