ABSTRACT
In contemporary Italian the term 'dilettanti' is used in its original sense to refer to amateurs in various fields. Johann Georg Sulzer's distinction between the curious 'Liebhaber' and the 'Liebhaber' who derives true pleasure from works of taste constitutes an important stage in the etymology of the term 'Dilettante'. There are significant historical variations in the initial uses of the term and its cognates in the respective languages. By creating a dichotomy within the term 'Liebhaber', Sulzer offers a definition of 'Dilettante' which is identical to one of the definitions in usage. In the eighteenth century the term 'dilettante' was incorporated into English, French, and German. Hans Rudolf Vaget suggests that Johann Heinrich Merck understood the Society of Dilettanti's conception of the term, drawing attention to an affinity with Merck's own literary activities and to his knowledge of English literature and aesthetics.
