minstrel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a travelling musician, singer, poet, or storyteller, especially in medieval Europe

   The minstrel sang a narrative poem while accompanying himself on a harp.

2. 2
   noun

   historical: a performer in a nineteenth- or early twentieth-century minstrel show, a form of entertainment commonly built on racist caricature

   The archive documents how the minstrel performed in degrading racial stereotypes.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Minstrel entered English in the Middle Ages with the basic meaning “servant,” ultimately from Latin minister, “servant.” It came to denote an employed entertainer who might sing, play music, tell stories, juggle, or perform comic routines; the narrower romantic image of a singer of heroic or lyrical verse developed much later.

From Middle English menestrel and Old French menestrel, 'servant, artisan, or itinerant musician,' from Late Latin ministerialis, a household officer or retainer. The medieval entertainer sense became dominant; the later American minstrel-show sense requires explicit historical and racist-context labeling.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary