Belle's correct. "Amateur" is a French word derived from the Latin "amator" - a lover/one who loves. In it's pure form it simply means one who participates in the arts or sciences driven by love, and not for money. It was not until the corseness of the 20th century that the word began to be used to mean "without skill", American Industrialist society assuming that if one was not makeing filthy lucre off something they couldn't be good at it!