saltimbanco

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian saltimbanco. Used thus in English because of the association with street performers, seen by the settled population in English-speaking culture as not to be trusted. A more usual and more accurate English word, derived from similar sources, is mountebank.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /sæltɪmˈbæŋkəʊ/

Noun

saltimbanco (plural saltimbancos)

  1. A quack doctor, a fraud.
    Synonyms: mountebank, quack

Italian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Univerbation of salta +‎ in +‎ banco, literally “leap (or somersault) on the bench”.[1] Compare Sicilian sautavancu.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /sal.timˈban.ko/
  • Rhymes: -anko
  • Hyphenation: sal‧tim‧bàn‧co

Noun

saltimbanco m (plural saltimbanchi, feminine saltimbanca)

  1. acrobat
    Synonyms: acrobata, funambolo, giocoliere
  2. (figurative, derogatory) charlatan
    Synonyms: ciarlatano, (archaic) montambanco

Descendants
  • → English: saltimbanco
  • → French: saltimbanque
  • → Portuguese: saltimbanco
  • → Spanish: saltimbanqui
  • → Greek: σαλτιμπάγκος (saltimpágkos)

References
  1. saltimbanco in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Spanish

Noun

saltimbanco m (plural saltimbancos)

  1. Alternative form of saltimbanqui

Further reading
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