Pottier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A profession related to the craft of making pottery or ceramic ware
2. An individual skilled in shaping and firing clay to create functional or decorative objects
3. A craftsman who specializes in the artistic and technical aspects of ceramics, often involved in both the design and production phases

Etymology: "Pottier" is not a word for someone who works with clay. It is the comparative form of "potty," so it means "more potty," and its history runs through the word "pot." "Pot" came into Old English as "pott," and it passed through Old French "pot" from Vulgar Latin "pottum." Its basic sense was a container, and in English it came to name a chamberpot. English then added the diminutive suffix "-y" to "pot," producing "potty," a little pot. The adjective follows the usual pattern for words ending in -y, so its comparative is "pottier," formed like "heavier" or "easier."

Synonyms: more ceramic, more earthenware-like

Antonyms: less ceramic, less earthenware-like