[1825–35; violoncell(o) + -ist]This word is first recorded in the period 1825–35. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: breakdown, cross section, individualism, relativity, self-help-ist is a suffix of nouns, often corresponding to verbs ending in -ize or nouns ending in -ism, that denote a person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certainprinciples, doctrines, etc. Other words that use the affix -ist include: dramatist, machinist, novelist, realist, socialist