Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DILETTANTE

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connect today's word to others: Do I speak Korean? Sure, a few phrases. Do I play the ukulele? Sure, a few chords. I'm not fluent in Korean; I don't play ukulele professionally. I'm a dilettante. Dilettantes aren't professionals; they're d___lers: people who have some fun with the subject matter instead of getting seriously involved or seriously skilled in it. Even though there's nothing wrong with taking a passing interest in some hobby or skill, the word dilettante has a pej____ive tone: its meaning is negative, disrespectful, or insulting. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "DILETTANTE" "Dilettante" came from an Italian word meaning "someone who loves music or painting," which came from a Latin word meaning "to delight." A dilettante is someone interested in an activity, especially art or music, but NOT in a professional or highly skilled way. Pronunciation: Several ways are correct. I prefer "DILL uh tont." Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one dilettante or multiple dilettantes--or if you prefer fancy plurals, multiple dilettanti.) Other forms: dilettantes/dilettanti, dilettantish/dilettantist, dilettantism How to use it: Even a "dilettante" was originally an enthusiast for the fine arts--which is an admirable thing to be--today it describes someone interested in things on an easy, shallow, unskilled, non-professional level. So, the word has a negative tone. To call people dilettantes is to suggest that they don't know what they're doing, even if they think they do. To use this word, simply refer to people as dilettantes--or, more specifically, as art dilettantes, yoga dilettantes, acting dilettantes, business dilettantes, political dilettantes, etc. examples: I'm not willing to quit my day job or invest in music lessons; I'm content to remain a dilettante. I envisioned a beautifully colored set of four canvases, but the final product was sloppy, dilettantish at best. Still, I'm happy with it.  study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "dilettante" means when you can explain it without saying "hobbyist" or "amateur." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "We were (a certain kind of) dilettanti, (doing something in a non-professional way together)." Example: "We were musical dilettanti, approximating the harmonies on the sheet music and having a great time." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. "Bits & Pieces." This month, we're playing with affixes and combining forms, the bits and pieces of our language, matching them to their meanings. The more of these bits and pieces you know, the better you are at decoding unfamiliar words, which is sooo satisfying! I'll share the answers in each subsequent issue. Here are the answers from our previous issue: 1. "-cele" means "swelling." 2. "-itis" means "inflammation." 3. "-lepsy" means "seizure." 4. "-opsia" means "sight disorder." 5. "-phasia" means "speech disorder." Try this set today. It's about biology: 1. "-lecithal" means _____. 2. "-lysis" means _____. 3. "-monas" means _____. 4. "myceto-" means _____. 5. "taxo-" means _____.    Answer bank:       A. fungus       B. egg yolk       C. arrangement       D. decomposition       E. simple organisms review today's word: 1. The opposite of DILETTANTE is A. EXPERT. B. DEVOTEE. C. BEGINNER. 2. His suggestions were dilettantish and _____. A. swiftly dismissed B. therefore too costly C. seriously considered Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A