Sapience
/ˈseɪ.pi.əns/noun
Wisdom; the ability to think and judge wisely.
Did you know?Sapience ultimately comes from the same ancient root that gave Latin *sapere*, meaning both “to taste” and “to be wise,” because knowledge was imagined as something you could *sense* and savor.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sep-
“to taste, perceive”
Latin
Latin
sapere
“to taste; to have discernment, be wise”
Latin
Latin
sapientia
“wisdom, good sense”
Old French
Old French
sapience
“wisdom, intelligence”
Middle English
English
sapience
“wisdom; keen intelligence”
Modern English
English
sapience
“wisdom; the capacity for intelligent thought”