Savvy
/ˈsæv.i/noun
Practical knowledge, understanding, or good judgment.
Did you know?Savvy likely entered English through Caribbean and maritime speech, connected to French savez-vous and Portuguese sabe, both ultimately related to Latin sapere, “to know” and “to taste.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sap-
“To taste, perceive, or have sense”
Classical Latin
Latin
sapere
“To taste; to be wise or discerning”
Medieval French
Old French
saveir / savoir
“To know”
Early Modern Portuguese
Portuguese
sabe
“He or she knows”
18th Century
Caribbean English
savvy
“Know; understand, likely used in the phrase “savvy?””
Modern English
English
savvy
“Practical understanding or competence”