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Thread: artist = artiste?

  1. #1
    Tedwonny is offline Member
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    Smile artist = artiste?

    When referring to a celebrity, singer...

    we can use either artist/artiste?

    thanks

  2. #2
    Rover_KE is offline Moderator
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tedwonny View Post
    When referring to a celebrity, singer etc, can we use either 'artist' or 'artiste'?

    Thanks
    Yes, we can, and he/she does not have to be a celebrity. Any professional or semi-professional entertainer can be so-called.

    'Artiste' has the stress on the second syllable (listen to it HERE), but you will often hear it pronounced just like 'artist'.

    Rover

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    SoothingDave is offline VIP Member
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    I don't think the word "artiste" is used seriously in AmE. If I heard someone say that someone was an "artiste" I would assume either you were putting on airs (trying to make the artist sound much more important than he is) or were mocking the artist.
    charliedeut, 5jj, Barb_D and 2 others like this.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    I agree with Dave completely.
    "Oh, he's an artiste, don't you know!" would mean that you were mocking the so-called artist and probably implying that he thought he was of much greater significance than he was.
    tzfujimino and Tedwonny like this.
    I'm not a teacher, but I write for a living. Please don't ask me about 2nd conditionals, but I'm a safe bet for what reads well in (American) English.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    I agree that the use of "artiste" is sometimes used somewhat sarcastically. For example, several of my friends are singers, writers, photographers etc - one thing that connects them is that they seem to have quite extreme mood swings and are rather unpredictable emotionally. I (and they) have been known to say that such things are characteristic of "temperamental artistes", and we sometimes say those two words in a slightly different voice to the rest of the sentence to set them apart.
    Tedwonny, tzfujimino and Barb_D like this.

  6. #6
    Tedwonny is offline Member
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    Thank you all so much!

    To sum up

    Artist = painter/a person who draws pictures
    Artist/Artiste = a celebrity, singer, dancer

    &

    Artist = neutral
    Artiste = has negative connotation

    Is that right?
    thanks

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    Rover_KE is offline Moderator
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tedwonny View Post

    To sum up


    Artiste = has negative connotation

    Is that right?
    Not for me, it isn't.

    Only the first of these dictionaries mentions a negative connotation.

    Rover
    5jj likes this.

  8. #8
    emsr2d2's Avatar
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    Default Re: artist = artiste?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tedwonny View Post
    Thank you all so much!

    To sum up

    Artist = painter/a person who draws pictures
    Artist/Artiste = a celebrity, singer, dancer

    &

    Artist = neutral
    Artiste = has negative connotation

    Is that right?
    thanks
    I certainly wouldn't say that "artiste" always has a negative connotation. It's the tone of voice, the context and the rest of the sentence which might give it a negative connotation but that is not part of the definition.
    Rover_KE and Barb_D like this.

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