Savant Syndrome
/səˈvɑːnt sɪnˌdroʊm/noun
A condition in which a person with significant cognitive or developmental differences displays exceptional ability in a specific area such as calculation, music, or memory.
Did you know?The term was introduced in 1887 by physician John Langdon Down as “idiot savant,” but modern usage rejects that label and recognizes savant abilities across several conditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sep-
“To notice, perceive, or be wise; the proposed ancestral root behind the Latin family related to knowing and wisdom.”
Classical Latin
Latin
sapere
“To taste, perceive, be wise, or have good judgment.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
savant
“Knowing, learned, or wise; the present participle of savoir, “to know.””
Ancient Greek
Greek
sýndromē
“A running together or concurrence, formed from syn-, “together,” and drómos, “a running.””
17th Century
English
syndrome
“A group of symptoms occurring together, borrowed from medical Greek through Latin and modern European languages.”
1887
English
idiot savant
“John Langdon Down’s term for a person with severe intellectual disability who displayed exceptional skill in a narrow domain.”
20th Century–Modern English
English
savant syndrome
“The modern, less stigmatizing term for exceptional domain-specific abilities occurring alongside developmental or cognitive disabilities.”
Explore more surprising origins