artist = artiste?

[Tedwonny]

When referring to a celebrity, singer...

we can use either artist/artiste?

thanks

 

[Rover_KE]

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

 

[SoothingDave]

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.

 

[Barb_D]

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.

 

[emsr2d2]

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]

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

 

[Rover_KE]

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

 

[emsr2d2]

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.