Relating to mechanical arts or manual labor; lacking sophistication or artistic merit; commonplace and utilitarian rather than refined or intellectual.
From Greek banausos (craftsman, mechanics), which originally meant those who worked with their hands in non-noble professions. The meaning shifted to describe anything utilitarian and unrefined during the Classical influence on European thought.
Ancient Greeks divided work into banausic (manual labor) and nobler pursuits—this snobbish distinction shaped European universities for centuries, which is why 'mechanical arts' weren't taught in prestigious schools until recently!
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