Devoto

/deɪˈvoʊtoʊ/ noun

Definition

A devoted person or devotee, especially used in Italian or Spanish-influenced English to mean a passionate follower or admirer.

Etymology

Directly from Spanish and Italian 'devoto' meaning devoted or devoted person, from Latin 'devotus' (devoted, dedicated). Kept in English when discussing art, music, or culture in Romance language contexts.

Kelly Says

This word shows how English borrows the *exact* word from other languages when English doesn't have a perfect equivalent—'devoto' has a romantic, passionate intensity that 'devotee' somehow lacks, which is why opera and art lovers still use it.

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