factotum

English

WOTD - 18 April 2009    

Wikipedia

Etymology

From New Latin,  (“do everything”), from Latin fac, present singular imperative of faciō (“do, make”) + tōtum (“everything”); attested in English from 1566.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /fækˈtəʊ.təm/
• (US) IPA: /fækˈtoʊ.təm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

factotum (plural factotums)

1. (dated) A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.
2. (dated) A general servant.
   • 1847, Herman Melville, Omoo, Chapter 73,

     I had almost forgotten Monee, the grinning old man who prepared our meal. […] He was Po-Po’s factotum—cook, butler, and climber of the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; and, added to all else, a mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would sit smoking and gossiping by the hour.

3. A jack of all trades.

Synonyms

• (jack of all trades): handyman, jack of all trades, sciolist

Translations

person having many responsibilities

Danish: altmuligmand (da) c. Greek: παντοποιός (el) m. (pantopoiós)

Hungarian: tótumfaktum (hu) Polish: faktotum (pl) n.

general servant

Czech: děvče pro všechno (cs) n. Danish: faktotum (da) n. Dutch: factotum (nl) m., manusje-van-alles (nl) n.

Hungarian: tótumfaktum (hu) Scottish Gaelic: gille-gach-gnothaich (gd) m. Swedish: allt-i-allo (sv)

jack-of-all-trades

Dutch: factotum (nl) m., manusje-van-alles (nl) n.

References

• factotum in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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Dutch

Wikipedia ^nl

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɑkˈtoː.tʏm/
• Hyphenation: fac‧to‧tum

Etymology

From New Latin,  (“do everything”), from Latin fac, present singular imperative of faciō (“do, make”) + tōtum (“everything”).

Noun

factotum m. (plural factotums, diminutive factotumpje)

1. factotum (jack-of-all-trades)

Synonyms

• manusje-van-alles, klusjesman