Essayist
/ˈɛseɪɪst/noun
A writer of essays, especially literary or critical essays.
Did you know?Essay is historically connected with assay, the testing of metals for purity, giving the writer’s task an unexpectedly forensic meaning: weigh the evidence and test what is true.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eǵ-
“To drive, move, or set in motion”
Classical Latin
Latin
agere
“To drive, do, conduct, or carry out”
Late Latin
Latin
exagium
“A weighing or means of weighing”
12th–13th Century
Old French
essai
“A trial, test, attempt, or first effort”
16th Century
French
essai
“A written attempt or reflective trial of an idea”
17th Century
English
essayist
“A writer of essays”
Modern English
English
essayist
“A person who writes essays”