Where does “savant” come from?
savant (French) comes from French savoir, from Old French savoir, from Vulgar Latin sapere, from Latin sapiō, from Proto-Indo-European sap- — skill; to taste; to try; to research.
savant (French): scholarly, scientific; perfect; scholar,...
Definitions
- scholarly, scientific; perfect; scholar,...
Ancestry of “savant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | savoir | to know; to know how; to be able to, to be apt to |
| 2 | Old French | savoir | to know; to be skilled in; knowledge |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | sapere | to know; present active infinitive of sapiō; be... |
| 4 | Latin | sapiō | to be wise, or sensible, discreet, prudent |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sap- | skill; to taste; to try; to research |