[quote=@Prince of Seraphs]
<Snipped quote by HereComesTheSnow>

Actually the root of the word comes from French and several different Latin dialects making the use of either A or E in the spelling acceptable. Spelling it "Minstrel" was popularized by Blackface comedies from the later 1800s.
[/quote]

I had no idea! The more you know. o-O