Journeyman is a noun describing a worker who has learned a trade and works for a daily wage. Historically, it referred to an experienced worker, but not necessarily a brilliant one.
Journeyman es un sustantivo que describe a un trabajador que ha aprendido un oficio y trabaja por un salario diario. Históricamente, se refería a un trabajador con experiencia, pero no necesariamente brillante.
Word | journeyman |
---|---|
Date | August 23, 2016 |
Type | noun |
Syllables | JER-nee-mun |
Etymology | The journey in journeyman refers to a sense of the familiar word not often used anymore: "a day's labor." This sense of journey was first used in the 14th century. When journeyman appeared the following century, it originally referred to a person who, having learned a handicraft or trade through an apprenticeship, worked for daily wages. In the 16th century, journeyman picked up a figurative (and mainly deprecatory) sense; namely, "one who drudges for another." These days, however, journeyman has little to do with drudgery, and lots to do with knowing a trade inside out. |
Examples | "I started working exclusively as an actor when I was 25 years old…. I was a journeyman actor, working here and there. And I loved it." — Bryan Cranston, quoted in The Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2016 "Rich Hill is 36 and likely to be the most sought-after pitcher on the trade market, but he claims he doesn't see it that way. The transformation from journeyman to a pitcher with electric stuff has been stunning at his age." — Nick Cafardo, The Boston Globe, 10 July 2016 |
Definition | 1 : a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person usually by the day 2 : an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer especially as distinguished from one who is brilliant or colorful |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
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