Maestro
/ˈmaɪ.stroʊ/noun
A master or distinguished conductor, composer, or teacher, especially in music.
Did you know?Maestro comes through Italian from Latin *magister* (“master”), the same ancient root behind *master*, *mistress*, and *magistrate*—a whole vocabulary of authority hidden inside one elegant word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meg-
“great, large”
Latin
Latin
magister
“a master, chief, teacher, or superior”
Late Latin
Latin
maestro
“master; teacher; expert”
Italian
Italian
maestro
“master, teacher, especially of music”
English
English
maestro
“a distinguished music conductor or composer”
Explore more surprising origins