artifex

Latin

Etymology

From ars (“art”) +‎ -fex (“suffix representing a maker or producer”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ti.feks/, [ˈärt̪ɪfɛks̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈar.ti.feks/, [ˈärt̪ifeks]

Noun

artifex m or f (genitive artificis); third declension

1. artist, actor
2. craftsman, master (of a craft)

   Synonyms: opifex, faber

   • Vitruvius, De Architectura, Book I, Chapter I, section 3; English translation by Frank Granger

     Neque enim ingenium sine disciplina aut disciplina sine ingenio perfectum artificem potest efficere.

     For neither talent without instruction nor instruction without talent can produce the perfect craftsman.

3. mastermind, schemer

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	artifex	artificēs
Genitive	artificis	artificum
Dative	artificī	artificibus
Accusative	artificem	artificēs
Ablative	artifice	artificibus
Vocative	artifex	artificēs

Descendants

• Catalan: artífex
• Galician: artífice
• Italian: artefice
• Portuguese: artífice
• Sicilian: artìfici
• Spanish: artífice

Adjective

artifex (genitive artificis); third-declension one-termination adjective

1. skilled, artistic
2. expert
3. artful, cunning
4. creative

Declension

Third-declension one-termination adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	artifex			artificēs	artificia
Genitive	artificis			artificium
Dative	artificī			artificibus
Accusative	artificem	artifex		artificēs	artificia
Ablative	artificī			artificibus
Vocative	artifex			artificēs	artificia

References

• “artifex”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “artifex”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• artifex in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• artifex in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • an accomplished dialectician: disserendi peritus et artifex
    
• artifex in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016