Where does “perspicacity” come from?
Perspicacity derives from French perspicacité, from Latin perspicacitas, combining Latin per- (through) and perspicax (seeing clearly), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European speḱ- meaning to observe or perceive.
perspicacity (English): Acute discernment or understanding; insight; The...
Definitions
- Acute discernment or understanding; insight; The...
Ancestry of “perspicacity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | perspicacité | — |
| 2 | Latin | perspicācitās | sharp-sightedness, discernment, discrimination |
| 3 | Latin | perspicax | sharp-sighted, quick-sighted, perspicacious |
| 4 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 5 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 6 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |