anthropologist

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English anthropology Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English anthropologist From anthropology + -ist.

1. An expert in anthropology.

   “In actual fact, it is hard to see how anyone could defend the prescriptive approach. In any other field of enquiry, it would be seen as patently absurd. What would we say of the social anthropologist who, instead of describing the way a given society is, sets about prescribing the way he thinks it ought to be? (We'd probably suggest he ought to give up Anthropology and take up Politics!) [...]”

   “In traditional anthropology, somebody goes to another country, says: “How fascinating these people are! How interesting their tools and their culture are,” and then they write a paper, and maybe a few other anthropologists read it, and we think these cultures are very exotic.”