auletris en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ɔːˈliːtɹɪs/
Etymology
From Ancient Greek αὐλητρίς (aulētrís).
Meanings
-
(historical) A courtesan or prostitute in Ancient Greece who played the flute to provide entertainment.
One of Theophrastus' characters speaks of instructing a servant to bring an auletris from the brothel [...] "that all of us might be entertained by her playing and be made glad".
2011, Laura K. McClure, Courtesans at Table, page 21:The auletris, or flute-player, provided musical accompaniment at the Greek symposium, a drinking party enjoyed by aristocratic males.
2006, Melissa Hope Ditmore (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, volume 1, page 51:To equate auletrides with prostitutes tout court is an overgeneralisation, which in turn impacts on the reading of the imagery.
2002, Sian Lewis, The Athenian Woman, page 97:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| auletrides | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (2)
it auletride (courtesan flute-player) · fr aulétride (courtesan flute-player)