English
sciolist
Sciolist comes from Late Latin sciolus ‘sciolist, smatterer’, from Latin scius ‘knowing’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skey- ‘to split, to dissect’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skey-‘to split, to dissect’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnesciō‘not to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnescius‘ignorant’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsciō‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEscius‘knowing’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsciolus‘sciolist, smatterer’
- Englishearliest quotation 1808sciolist
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skey-‘to split, to dissect’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnesciō‘not to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnescius‘ignorant’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsciō‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEscius‘knowing’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsciolus‘sciolist, smatterer’
- Englishearliest quotation 1808sciolist
Earliest quotation: 1808, Edmund Burke, A Treatise on the First Principles of Christianity: “Men of true ſcience modestly admit the truth on…”
Formed from -ist
first attested First attested at the beginning of the 17th century (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested at the beginning of the 17th century.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *skey- ‘to split, to dissect’
ship, equipment, shift, shed, skip, kyle, ski, shin, conscience, squire, sheath, skeet, skiff, chine, scuttle, prescient, skein, shud, scullery, omniscience, prescience, 39 more
through Latin nescius ‘ignorant’
through Latin sciō ‘to know’
Today it means
noun One who exhibits only superficial knowledge; a self-proclaimed expert with little real understanding.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *skey- / sciolist