Ancient Greek:
* ποίησις (poiesis): This is the Greek word for "making" or "creating." It encompasses a broader sense of creation, including artistic creation, but it was particularly associated with poetry.
* ποιητής (poietēs): This word literally means "maker" or "creator" and was used to describe someone who created poetry.
Latin:
* poeta: This word was borrowed from the Greek "poietēs" and came to be used in Latin for "poet."
English:
* poet: The English word "poet" was borrowed from the Latin "poeta." It first appeared in the English language around the 14th century.
Evolution of Meaning:
Over time, the meaning of "poet" has become more specialized and focused specifically on someone who writes poetry. However, the underlying sense of "maker" or "creator" remains, emphasizing the creative act involved in composing poetry.
Interesting Note:
In some languages, the word for "poet" directly reflects the sense of "maker" or "creator." For example, in German, "Dichter" means "maker," and in Spanish, "poeta" comes from the same Latin root as "poet" but emphasizes the idea of "making" or "creating."