+ IST Trivia Quiz

Answer: Geneticist

Genetic (something passed from parent to child) + IST = GENETICIST. Geneticists study genes, how they are passed along, and how the mutate. Famous geneticists include Gregor Mendel, August Weismann, Barbara McClintock, and Sir Ian Wilmut among many others. Etymologists have traced this word to the early 20th century.

Answer: Minimalist

Minimal (smallest amount) + IST = MINIMALIST. A minimalist keeps things very simple with their furnishings, clothing, and other lifestyle items. There is also a minimalist style of art. Etymologists have traced this word to the Russian "men'shevik", from "men'she", meaning "lesser".

Answer: Vocalist

Vocal (sound made in the throat) + IST = VOCALIST. A vocalist is someone who sings, often in a choir or musical group. Etymologists have determined that this word was first used in the early 1800s to distinguish the vocal performers from the musicians who played instruments in musical groups.

Answer: Specialist

Special (something better or greater than the usual) + IST = SPECIALIST. The word "specialist" applies to many people who are outstanding in their fields. However, it has become particularly associated with physicians. According to etymologists, even though it was scorned by doctors, the word was first used to describe physicians in the 1850s.

It was in general use to describe certain doctors by the 1860s.

Answer: Dentist

Dent (minor damage to the body of a car) + IST = DENTIST. The word "dentist" is a much-borrowed word. It started as "dens", Latin for "tooth". The French borrowed that word to develop the word "dentiste" for someone who cares for the teeth. The English started using the word "dentist" in the mid-1700s to also describe one who cares for the teeth.

Answer: Illusionist

Illusion (a distortion of the senses) + IST = ILLUSIONIST. Magicians are often referred to as illusionists because the tricks they perform are designed to distort the audience's senses and fool the eye. This word comes from the Middle English "illusor", meaning "deceiver, deluder". "Illusionist" was used to mean "one suffering from illusions" through the early 1800s, but was used to refer to magicians and conjurers by the mid-1800s.

Answer: Assist

Ass (donkey or mule) + IST = ASSIST. The word "assist" comes from the Latin "ad", meaning "to, at" + "sistere", meaning "take one's stand".

Answer: Publicist

Public (not private) + IST = PUBLICIST. According to etymologists, the word "publicist" was first used in the late 1700s to mean a "person learned in public law or the law of nations". It was also used to mean a "writer on current topics" towards the end of the 18th century.

Answer: Finalist

Final (last) + IST = FINALIST. Etymologists have traced this word to the late 1800s when it seems that it was first used to mean "one who believes the end has been reached". The word comes from "final", which stems from the Latin "finalis", which meant "of or pertaining to an end, concluding, final".

Answer: Pluralist

Plural (more than one) + IST = PLURALIST. A pluralist is one who believes that government is responsible for decision-making in politics, but that non-government groups should exert influence on the decision makers in politics. Pluralists tend to stress civil rights and democratic governments.

This term was developed in the early 20th century to describe political science theories that rejected monolithic government power.