English
insipient
Insipient comes from Latin īnsipiēns ‘foolish, unwise, without intelligence, senseless’, from sapiēns ‘discerning, wise, judicious’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₁p-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to discern, can tell apart, know’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘to discern’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiēns‘discerning, wise, judicious’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnsipiēns‘foolish, unwise, without intelligence, senseless’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400insipient
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₁p-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to discern, can tell apart, know’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘to discern’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiēns‘discerning, wise, judicious’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEīnsipiēns‘foolish, unwise, without intelligence, senseless’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400insipient
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Latin sapiō ‘to discern’
sage, savvy, savory, savour, savant, sabe, 13 more
through Latin sapiēns ‘discerning, wise, judicious’
Today it means
adj foolish; lacking wisdom; stupid
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p- / insipient