Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “minstrelsy” come from?

Minstrelsy comes from Middle English minstralcie, from Old French menestralcie, originally denoting the collective activities and art of minstrels.

minstrelsy (English): The musical and other art and craft of a...

Definitions

  1. The musical and other art and craft of a...

Ancestry of “minstrelsy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishminstralcie—
2Anglo-Normanmenestralsie—
3Old Frenchmenestrelservant; minister of justice; one who enforces...
4Medieval Latinministralisservant, jester, singer
5Late Latinministerialisimperial household officer, one having an...
6Latinministeriumministry; employment, ministration; service
7Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
8Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
9Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
10Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →