Gesell

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A term historically referring to a member or journeyman of a medieval guild or trade association ; a person who has completed an apprenticeship and works in a skilled trade
2. An individual recognized as having attained a level of proficiency between apprentice and master in a craft or occupation ; a journeyman artisan practicing a trade under a guild system
3. A craftsman or skilled worker officially acknowledged within a traditional guild structure after training ; someone qualified to perform skilled labor but not yet a master of the trade

Etymology: A German journeyman was once known by a word meaning "hall-companion." "Geselle" comes from Old High German "gisellio," built from "ge-," meaning "together," and "sal," meaning hall or dwelling. The same root gives German "Saal" and the Old English "sele," also meaning hall. The trade term thus began as a description of someone who shared a household. The sense narrowed as guilds organised training. A young craftsman completed his apprenticeship and became a "Geselle" by working for wages in a master's workshop, often travelling between towns during the customary years of wandering that followed. English borrowed the term for these skilled workers, and it still appears in discussions of German guild systems. English "companion" shows a similar story: it comes from Latin "companio," literally "one who shares bread." Both words describe people defined by sharing a table or roof with others.

Synonyms: associate, companion, partner, colleague, comrade