[f. L. lingua tongue, language + -IST. Cf. F. linguiste (from 17th c.).]
1. One who is skilled in the use of languages; one who is master of other tongues besides his own. (Often with adj. indicating the degree or extent of the person’s skill.)
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. i. 57. Seeing you are beautifide With goodly shape; and by your owne report A Linguist.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Answ. Lett. **3 b. Be thou Iohn, the many-tongued Linguist, like Andrewes, or the curious Intelligencer, like Bodley.
1599. Thynne, Animadv., 31. Vnleste a manne be a good saxoniste, frenche, and Italyane linguiste.
1602. Boyle, in Lismore Papers, Ser. II. (1887), I. 39. A generall Linguist and partycular so in insight in the Ierish tungue.
1604. Marston, Malcontent, I. i. I study languages. Who doost thinke to be the best linguist of our age?
1673. Hickeringill, Gregory Father Greybeard, 256. Clean Latin style … pencill’d whether by himself or any other linguist.
1678. Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. i. § 89. 467/1. The Golden Bull … requires Emperours to be Good Linguists to confer themselves with Embassadours.
1715. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., I. 1. The great Linguist, John Minsheu.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. III. 276. He was a linguist, a mathematician, and a poet.
1859. Max Müller, Sci. Lang. (1862), 24. And here I must protest … against the supposition that the student of language must necessarily be a great linguist.
1867. Lady Herbert, Cradle L., iii. 81. He is … a wonderful linguist, speaking not only Hebrew and Greek, but most of the Arabian dialects.
transf. 1604. Drayton, Owl, 47. Each Sylvan sound I truly understood, Become a perfect Linguist of the Wood.
¶ b. One who speaks a (specified) language.
1672. Petty, Pol. Anat., xiii. Tracts (1769), 371. All the names of artificial things brought into use, since the empire of these linguists ceased, are expressed in the language of their conquerors.
† 2. A student of language; a philologist. Obs.
1641. Wilkins, Mercury, iii. (1707), 12. Many of the other [words] … are of such secret Sense, as I think no Linguist can discover.
1695. J. Edwards, Perfect. Script., 3. Here linguists and philologists may find that which is to be found no where else.
1748. Hartley, Observ. Man, I. iii. § 1. 320. A Light in which Grammarians and Linguists alone consider Words.
1817. J. Evans, Excurs. Windsor, etc., 171. And what will be curious to the linguist, here are the Iliad and Odyssey, the very books from which Pope made his translation.
† 3. An interpreter. Obs. (Cf. LINGUISTER.)
‘Formerly much used in the East. It long survived in China, and is there perhaps not yet obsolete’ (Yule).
1711. C. Lockyer, Trade India, 104. Get it translated without your Linguists Knowledge.
1742. C. Middleton, in A. Dobbs, Hudson’s Bay (1744), 192. The Southern Indian, who was Linguist for the Northern ones, returned with the Boat.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 300. This Evening came … a Chinese Interpreter or Linguist.
1780. Ann. Reg., 204. The persons who acted as linguist, surgeon, and surgeon’s mate.
1843. Prescott, Mexico (1850), I. 251. Marina … made herself so far mistress of the Castilian as to supersede the necessity of any other linguist.
1882. ‘Fan Kwae’ at Canton, 50. Other Chinese were closely allied to the foreign community as ‘Linguists.’… They were appointed by the Hoppo to act as interpreters.
† 4. One who uses his tongue freely or knows how to talk; a master of language. Obs.
1588. T. Harriott, Virginia (Cent.). Artamockes, the linguist, a bird that imitateth and useth the sounds and tones of almost all the birds in the countrie.
1599. T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 43. All linguists [marg. Pies, parrats, stares, &c.] eke that beg what hart would craue Selling your tongues for euery trifle scene As almonds, nuttes [etc.].
1612. Webster, White Devil, V. i. Ile dispute with him. Hee’s a rare linguist.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 374. Richard Martin … was a plausible Linguist, and eminent for Speeches spoken in Parliaments.
