Who such layman?

Speaking to language of science, today we can call the layman of that person to which nothing is impossible on his professional activity. But it is not absolutely right.

To understand who such layman, it is necessary to study at first from where this word and what value it bore came. Some scientists are furious adherents of the theory that this expression came to us from French. Other scientists, being guided by the analysis of lexical structure, claim that its homeland is Italy.

Without contradicting either the first, or the second, some say that expression layman arose in Latin and had the following values: to be amused, enjoy, love.

The first historical intelligent word meaning layman

On the conducted researches of historians it is possible to claim that at the time of blossoming of the Roman Empire this word received the first accurate and purposeful value.

At that time by laymans called artists who though were engaged in the craft, but did not get for this purpose vocational education.

At the same time, It should be noted that in our understanding of educational institutions those centuries plainly and was not that means the following: by the layman called the person presented by nature who well was given creative tasks.

Definition layman in Europe of the twentieth century

At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth in Europe educational institutions of various levels everywhere began to open (from schools to the universities).

Those who ended such institution, considered the professional. But at the same time at labor market there were people who could make the same task not worse, but they just had no profile preparation. Such people began to be called by laymans.

On natural causes the employers were more glad to the one who ended any prestigious institution. Therefore every decade this word gained more and more negative sense.

What does expression layman in domestic culture mean?

Though this word also received the first active distribution in Italy, but it came to us from France. In the nineteenth century it was prestigious to learn French therefore in it there is nothing surprising.

At that time our compatriots laymans, most often, called musicians. To it there were reasons. Vocational schools were in minority, and it was very difficult to get there. As a result, most of musicians learned to play any instrument independently.

Though this expression was also used more actively in the musical sphere, but only it was not limited to it. It concerned actors, circus actors, artists and other professions of creative orientation.

It is important to tell that among laymans, quite often, the true talents met, but, happened, and absolutely incapable. By the way, it is fully possible to call the famous composer Schubert by the layman as he all the youth independently studied playing a piano. What is interesting, he even thought up own musical notation, and only at the age of twenty years got classical education.

Since the twentieth century this term became widespread almost on all spheres of life. Now by the layman could call even scientists who gained all the knowledge from books, but not the university.

Apparently, presently the word expanded the initial value a little.