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Romanist

Today it means: A Roman Catholic. Full definition →

First used 16th c.

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The story

From Roman + -ist.

First known use, by meaning

from 16th c. A Roman Catholic.
from 17th c. A scholar of Roman law and jurisprudence.
from 18th c. A scholar of Roman history and culture.
from 19th c. A scholar of Romance languages; a Romanicist.
19th–early 20th c. someone perceived to be in favor of Rome Rule in Ireland.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.