proficiency
/prəˈfɪʃənsi/
noun
Origin
Latin
proficere — to advance, make progress, accomplish
Overview
Meaning Now
- A high degree of competence or skill; expertise.
- The state or quality of being proficient.
Literal older meaning
the act of advancing or making progress
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
proficiency
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term stems from the Latin 'proficere', which literally meant to 'go forward' or 'make progress'. In the 17th century, the English word initially referred to general advancement or growth in a field, before specializing to denote personal competence or mastery.
Evolution
- Latin
proficere
“to go forward, to make progress”
- Latin
proficientia
“progress, advancement”
Formation of the abstract noun from the verb.
- English
proficiency
“skillfulness or competence”
Borrowed into English via the intermediate influence of learned Latinate vocabulary in the Renaissance.
Connections
Word parts
pro-
prefix
forward
fic-
root
to make or do
-ency
suffix
quality or state
Related across languages
French
prospicience
rare form related to looking forward/progress
Spanish
proficiencia
proficiency
Explore next
Related to proficiency
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.