The duty of an artist is to articulate the unknown
The word “curiosity” comes from the Latin root cūra, meaning “care” or “concern.”
Here’s the etymological path:
- Latin: cūriōsus — “careful,” “inquisitive,” “eager to know,” from cūra (care, concern).
- Late Latin: curiositas — “desire for knowledge, inquisitiveness.”
- Old French: curiosité — curiosity or care.
- Middle English: curiosite — careful attention, inquisitiveness.
Originally, “curiosity” implied both a careful attention to detail and an eagerness to know or investigate. Over time, it came to mean the desire to learn or know more, often about things that are novel, obscure, or hidden.
Curiosity, at its root, is a form of care — a deep concern for the unknown.