Craftsman
/ˈkræfts.mən/noun
A person skilled in making things by hand, especially in a trade or art.
Did you know?The first part of *craftsman* comes from Old English *cræft*, which originally meant strength, skill, or artful power—not just handiwork—so the word once carried the sense of someone wielding real force through mastery.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kraftiz
“strength, power, skill”
Old English
OE
cræft
“strength, skill, art, ability, cunning”
Old English
OE
mann
“man, person”
Middle English
ME
craftesman
“a skilled worker or artisan”
Modern English
English
craftsman
“a person skilled in a trade or manual art”
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