saltimbanco

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Italian saltimbanco. Used thus in English because of the association with street performers, seen by the settled population in English-speaking culture as not to be trusted. A more usual and more accurate English word, derived from similar sources, is mountebank. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /sæltɪmˈbæŋkəʊ/ === Noun === saltimbanco (plural saltimbancos) A quack doctor, a fraud. Synonyms: mountebank, quack ==== Related terms ==== mountebank == Italian == === Alternative forms === saltambanco (uncommon) === Etymology === Univerbation of salta +‎ in +‎ banco, literally “leap (or somersault) on the bench”. Compare Sicilian sautavancu. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /sal.timˈban.ko/ Rhymes: -anko Hyphenation: sal‧tim‧bàn‧co === Noun === saltimbanco m (plural saltimbanchi, feminine saltimbanca) acrobat Synonyms: acrobata, funambolo, giocoliere (figurative, derogatory) charlatan Synonyms: ciarlatano, (archaic) montambanco ==== Descendants ==== → English: saltimbanco → French: saltimbanque → English: saltimbanque → Portuguese: saltimbanco → Spanish: saltimbanqui → Greek: σαλτιμπάγκος (saltimpágkos) === References === == Spanish == === Noun === saltimbanco m (plural saltimbancos) alternative form of saltimbanqui === Further reading === “saltimbanco”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025