Where does “engineer” come from?

Engineer comes from Middle English engyneour, from Old French engigneor, derived from Latin ingenium meaning natural capacity or cleverness, ultimately from Latin in and genus.

engineer (English): A person who is qualified or professionally...

Definitions

  1. A person who is qualified or professionally...

Ancestry of “engineer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishengyneour
2Old Frenchengigneordeceiver; one who deceives; engineer
3Latiningeniatorengineer
4Latiningeniāriusan engineer
5Latiningeniuminnate or natural quality, natural character;...
6Latingigneresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7Latingenereablative singular of genus; to beget, produce
8Latingenusbirth, origin, lineage, descent; kind, type,...
9Proto-Italicgenoslineage, origin
10Proto-Indo-Europeanǵénh₁osrace, lineage
11Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “engineer

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵénh₁osEvery word from Proto-Italic genos