English
savant
Savant comes from French savant, from Latin sapiō ‘to have taste, have flavour, be intelligent,…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₁p-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to taste’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘to have taste, have flavour, be intelligent, show good sense, or know, understand’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsavant
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₁p-reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to taste’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘to have taste, have flavour, be intelligent, show good sense, or know, understand’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsavant
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Sense 3 is a clipping of idiot savant, literally ‘wise idiot’.
Linked words
through Latin sapiō ‘to have taste, have flavour, be intelligent,…’
sage, savvy, sapiens, insipid, savory, savour, sabe, sapient, 13 more
Today it means
noun A person of learning, especially one who is versed in literature or science.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₁p- / savant