Metallists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Those dedicated to the research or manufacturing of metallic substances
2. Specialists involved in the art or science of metal crafting and analysis
3. People skilled in examining and handling metals ; advocates for currency systems backed by physical metals such as gold or silver

Etymology: "Metallist" is a plain formation: the noun "metal" with the suffix "-ist", which denotes a person who practises or works with something. The suffix itself has a long pedigree. It descends from Ancient Greek "-istēs", which the Romans borrowed as "-ista" and which reached English through Old French and Middle English, so the ending in "metallist" is a set of borrowings stacked on top of one another. The base word "metal" has a similarly layered history. It came into English via Old French "metal" from Latin "metallum", which in turn was borrowed from Ancient Greek "métallon", meaning a mine or a quarry, that is, the place where ores were dug rather than the substance itself. The sense of the material gradually took over. Because "metallist" is built directly from "metal" plus "-ist", its meaning is transparent: a skilled worker in metal. The plural "metallists" is simply that noun with a regular -s ending.