Artist vs Artiste

Please
Is it correct to say "artiste" about male performers, too?
Elvis was a superb artiste. ???

Does it mean nobody knows??

I may not be right but, as far as I know, "artiste" is used for characterising only performing artists (dancers, singers etc.) and not sculptors, painters, graphic artists etc., whereas "artist" is a person who engages in any kind of art(istic activity).

Besides, I don't think it has got much to do with sex (at least in the English language).

So, you can say "Elvis was a superb artiste".

By the way, where are you from, Glikeria? You have quite an interesting name. What kind of name is it (maybe a flower)?

"Artiste" is sort of a pretentious word that no one takes seriously, you know. But in English, no distinction is made between sexes with it.

<<"Artiste" is sort of a pretentious word that no one takes seriously, you know. But in English, no distinction is made between sexes with it.>>

Completely agreed!

I've forgotten this:

<<"Artiste" is sort of a pretentious word that no one takes seriously>>

Agreed, but some snobbish people do :-)

And some companies or studios use as a name.

Tnx, Liz and Uriel. At long last I got the answer, that's a relief. Not that it were so important, but one can't help feeling somewhat hurt when everybody passes by.
Liz, it's my nick. I feel safer in disguise. In fact it's my late Granny's name, a rare one. When she was born names were offered in church according to the date. I guess there must be some saint Glikeria.
Liz, your explanation coincides with my opinion, but a friend of mine read somewhere "artiste" is only abt women, so I wanted to make sure.

Uriel, why do you say it's pretentious? And what do you call singers, dancers etc. - performers?

It's pretentious *in English* because there's no reason to use the French word.

That's interesting - just one letter and the change of stress are so meaningful. Thanks to everybody. Connotations are the most fascinating part of a language to me.

"artiste" is the french for "artist"

Which is one reason why "artiste" is pretentious. Nothing against the French language itself, but when French words are borrowed into English, it's often to intentionally tart up an existing English word (artist > artiste). There is nothing wrong with the word itself, just the pretentiousness of the PEOPLE who self-consciously choose to use it to set themselves apart as "better" than mere "artists". So it's the way it's used, the context of the borrowing, and the motivations behind that borrowing that make that particular word annoying.*

*Note that this does not apply as a blanket statement to the hundreds or thousands of OTHER French words that have been borrowed into English which are considered completely mundane -- "artiste" is a special case. There are a handful of others like it.

<<I've forgotten this:

<<"Artiste" is sort of a pretentious word that no one takes seriously>>

Agreed, but some snobbish people do :-)>>

Interesting, I didn't even know there was such word. LOL. I guess it happens everywhere in the world. People borrowing French words into their language to sound more sophisticated or something...

Uriel : « (...) when French words are borrowed into English, it's often to intentionally tart up an existing English word (artist > artiste). »

Ha ha !!! Le plus drôle c'est que An <artist> & An <artiste> ont ***TOUS LES DEUX*** été empruntés au français : aucun des deux mots n'est de facture anglaise —> seule l'imitation du français les a fait entrer dans l'usage anglais, à des époques différentes il est vrai.

Bon, Greg,
Vouz etes tres heureux d'etre francais? Je vouz felicite. D'accord, la langue francaise est tres belle, mais c'est ne pas vouz qui a donne la langue a le monde. And English is not either worse or inferior.
Sorry for possible mistakes, my French is absolutely rusty.