Below is the definition or amateur from
Merriam-Webster.
Main Entry: am·a·teur
Pronunciation: 'a-m&-(")t&r, -"tur, -"tyur, -"chur, -ch&r
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: French, from Latin amator lover, from amare to love
Date: 1784
1 : DEVOTEE, ADMIRER
2 : one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession
3 : one lacking in experience and competence in an art or scienceMost of the time when we hear someone use this word, they are using only the third definition. Most of the time I hear the word it is a pejorative. For most people the last thing people want to be is an amateur. I think that most people miss those first to definitions. At one-time amateurs were people that injected love into a pursuit.
A
recent entry on Raccoon made me think how there is a new amateurism emerging. The internet is really helping it out. I think it is something that people should embrace. We should do what we can to stop using amateur as a dirty word.
Labels: Amateur, definition, Merriam-Webster, word
