apothegmatist

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀποφθέγματος (apophthégmatos) (the genitive of ἀπόφθεγμα (apóphthegma, “a thing uttered; especially, a terse, pointed saying, an apothegm”)) + English -ist (suffix forming nouns denoting people who practise or study particular disciplines).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /æpəʊˈθɛɡmətɪst/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /æpoʊˈθɛɡmətɪst/
• Hyphenation: apo‧theg‧mat‧ist

Noun

apothegmatist (plural apothegmatists)

1. A collector or maker of apothegms.
   • 1727 (date written), Martinus Scriblerus [pseudonym; Alexander Pope], “ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΘΟΥΣ [Peri Bathous]: Or, Of the Art of Sinking in Poetry. […]”, in The Works of Alexander Pope Esq. […], volume VI, London: […] J[ohn] and P[aul] Knapton […], published 1751, →OCLC, chapter XIII (A Project for the Advancement of the Bathos), page 211:

     Novv each man applying his vvhole time and genius upon his particular Figure, vvould doubtleſs attain to perfection; and vvhen each became incorporated and ſvvorn into the Society (as hath been propoſed) a Poet or Orator vvould have no more to do but to ſend to the particular Traders in each Kind, to the Metaphoriſt for his Allegories, to the Simile-maker for his Compariſons, to the Ironiſt for his Sarcaſms, to the Apothegmatiſt for his Sentences, etc. […]