discerning
/dɪˈsɜːrnɪŋ/
adjective
Origin
Latin
discernere — to separate, distinguish
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having or showing good judgment or insight; astute.
Literal older meaning
separating or sifting apart
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
discerner
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term stems from the Latin 'cernere', which originally related to sifting or separating grain. This metaphorical link—the ability to separate the good from the bad or the true from the false—evolved into the modern sense of intellectual perceptiveness.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
discernere
“to separate, divide, distinguish”
- Old French
discerner
“to distinguish, perceive”
- Middle English
discernen
“to perceive, discern”
- Early Modern English
discerning
“showing keen judgment”
Connections
Word parts
dis-
prefix
apart, asunder
cern-
root
to sift, separate
-ing
suffix
forming present participle as adjective
Related across languages
French
discerner
to discern
Spanish
discernir
to discern
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Related to discerning
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.