Pianist
nounA person who plays the piano, especially one who does so skilfully or professionally.
How to spell pianist
7 letters · 3 syllables
How to pronounce pianist
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does pianist mean?
- nounA person who plays the piano, especially one who does so skilfully or professionally.
Pianist in a sentence
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The pianist rehearsed the concerto for three hours every morning.
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A talented pianist accompanied the choir during the carol service.
Where does pianist come from?
Language of origin: Italian
The word traces back to the Italian piano, itself a clipping of pianoforte, the full name of the keyboard instrument invented around 1700. Pianoforte literally combined piano, meaning 'soft', with forte, meaning 'loud', advertising the instrument's novel ability to play both quietly and loudly depending on the touch. From piano the French formed pianiste for a player of the instrument, attaching the agent ending -iste that English borrows as -ist. English took the word in during the early 1800s as the instrument spread through homes and concert halls, settling on the spelling pianist. The trap for writers is that, unlike its parent word piano, it carries no final 'o', and the unstressed middle vowel can tempt an extra letter; remembering pian plus -ist keeps the spelling honest.
How the word is built
- pian- (from piano, the instrument)
- -ist (agent suffix: one who does or practises)
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