Amateur is a word taken from French, an entry that was present in that language since the 15th century, after replacing the popular form “amaor”, which derives from the Latin “amator” which means “the one who loves”; then in the eighteenth century it was given a modern meaning referring to those who practice science, art, sport, etc. without having to be a professional for it, but it was not until the 19th century that the amateur entry was introduced as a sporting term. Nowadays , amateur is understood as an amateur who has a distinguished taste for a particular activity, which may include a non-professional sport, art or science and who also does not obtain material benefits from said activity.
The Royal Spanish Academy recently added the word to its dictionary, giving it three possible meanings that refer to an amateur or some activity that is practiced or practiced in a non-professional way.
The word has no relationship with the level of suitability or training in a given activity, rather it refers to the motivation for which it is carried out. On the other hand, a professional activity generally requires a minimum level of preparation, training or knowledge in order to be able to practice socially, which the amateur normally does not comply with. However, both practices are related in terms of the maximum level achievable individually in these senses, only limited by the dedication and will that each one decides to give it.
At present it could be said that the number of amateur activities has been growing, a great tangible example of this lies in computing that could be represented in the many websites that are dedicated to the most diverse disciplines and activities erected without end of profit in addition to the development of numerous operating systems or user-contributed work on such websites.
