Expert
/ˈɛk.spɜːrt/noun
A person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular area.
Did you know?Expert comes from Latin *expertus*, the past participle of *experīrī* meaning “to try, test, or put to the proof,” so the word’s core idea is not wisdom alone but surviving the trial.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to try, risk, or pass through a test”
Latin
Latin
experīrī
“to try, test, or prove by trial”
Latin
Latin
expertus
“tried, tested, proved by experience”
Old French
Old French
expert
“experienced, skilled”
14th Century
English
expert
“experienced, skilled in a field”
Modern English
English
expert
“a person with specialized knowledge or skill”
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