latomista

Latomista is an Italian noun that denotes a person who works in a latomia, i.e., a quarry, performing activities such as extracting, shaping, and dressing stone. The term is primarily used in historical, archaeological, and geographical contexts to describe quarry workers or stonemasons. In modern Italian, more common terms for such work are pietraio or scalpellino, but latomista appears in specialized texts and in descriptions of ancient quarrying sites, including the famous latomie of Syracuse in Sicily.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from latomia (quarry), from the Greek λατομία, with the agentive suffix -ista forming latomista meaning “quarry worker” or “stonecutter.” The plural is latomisti, and the feminine form is latomista, though the latter is rarely used in practice.

Historical context: In classical antiquity, latomisti were employed in stone extraction for buildings, monuments, and infrastructure. The latomie of Syracuse, a network of quarries used to supply stone and, historically, to confine prisoners, is a notable site associated with the term. The occupation is discussed in historical and archaeological literature concerning quarrying techniques such as cutting, dressing, and transporting stone.

See also: Latomia, Quarry, Stonemason, Stone quarrying.

Notes: The term is specialized and not widely used in everyday language, but it appears in historical, archaeological, and regional Italian texts.