Other forms: essayists
An essayist is a writer of short pieces arguing a view. A great essayist.
The form was invented by Montaigne, whose word essai meant an attempt. An essayist is judged on voice more than on argument, which is unusual in prose.
1nounessayistA writer of short pieces arguing a view.
“As an essayist he was unmatched and as a novelist he was hopeless.”
essayist is a writer.
Proto-Indo-European
*h₂eǵ-
Latin
exagium — weight; weighing, testing on the balance
Old French
essay
Middle French
essay
English
essay
English, today
essayist
Built from
From essay + -ist. essay Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne at the same time, from the same words with the earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigo + -ium.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA