Etymology 10: Thespian (adj.)

This word dates back to 1675 when it meant, "of or pertaining to tragedy or dramatic acting." This word comes from the Greek "Thespis," who was a poet of 6 century B.C.E. Thespis was the traditional father of Greek tragedy. The word has been considered to have been, "inspired by the gods." Obviously I don't agree with that statement, but that's beside the point. The noun meaning "an actor" came around in 1827, and the short form, "thesp" is attested from 1962.