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caricaturist

UK[ˈkærɪkətʃərɪst]US[ˈkærɪkətʃərɪst]
n

An artist who specializes in creating caricatures.

Morpheme Breakdown

caricature
ist
caricature

exaggerated representation

ist

agent noun suffix

Etymology

The word 'caricaturist' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the earlier noun 'caricature'. 'Caricature' entered English in the 18th century from Italian 'caricatura', which derived from the verb 'caricare', meaning 'to load, burden, or exaggerate'. This Italian term itself originates from Late Latin 'carricare', meaning 'to load a vehicle', tracing back to Latin 'carrus', meaning 'wagon'. The semantic evolution moved from the literal act of loading or burdening to the figurative sense of overloading features for comic or satirical effect. The suffix '-ist', of Greek origin via Latin and French, is a standard agent-noun suffix appended to 'caricature' to denote a person who creates such exaggerated portraits, completing the word's logical construction as "one who practices caricature."

Analysis

Structure: caricature (exaggerated representation) + ist (agent noun suffix) - caricature: From Italian 'caricatura', from 'caricare' (to load, exaggerate), of Latin origin. - ist: A suffix of Greek origin via Latin and French, forming agent nouns denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something.

Examples

The political caricaturist skillfully exaggerated the senator's distinctive features in the daily newspaper.

She became a successful caricaturist, drawing humorous portraits of tourists at the seaside.

The exhibition featured works by several famous 19th-century caricaturists.

caricaturist – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology