Word of the Week: November 6, 2000
Savory Sapiens

Homo sapiens means "wise human" in Latin and is the name of the species to which we humans belong. We are sapiens because we are intelligent: sapiens means "knowing" in Latin and is from the verb sapio, sapere, sapivi ("to be wise"). From that verb we also get the adjective savvy and even a bull-fighting term for a bullring attendant, a monosabio, which is from roots meaning "wise monkey."

See how the p in sapere can shift to a b or a v? That is a regular pattern in Latin words that Spanish adapts and which we then adapt. Sapio, sapere has another meaning: "to be discerning, to have good taste," or just "to taste." It also changes its p sometimes: We get words like savor, insipid, and savory from that meaning of the word. Even if that is not what homo sapiens really means, it is still nice to think that all of us homo sapiens are--or at least try to be--both intelligent and of good taste.

Words of the Week are written by Dr. Jacques A. Bailly.