sapiens
/ˈseɪpi.ɛnz/
adjective
Origin
Latin
sapere — to taste, to have flavor, to be wise
Overview
Meaning Now
- Wise, discerning, or sagacious; typically used in the scientific binomial classification for modern humans.
Literal older meaning
tasting, having flavor, or having discernment
Language path
Latin
Earliest form
sapiens
Earliest period
1st century BCE
Journey
The term comes from the Latin verb 'sapere'. In the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus placed humans in the genus 'Homo' and added the specific epithet 'sapiens' to distinguish modern humans from other primate species, emphasizing the trait of wisdom or intelligence as the defining characteristic of the species.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*sap-
“to taste, perceive”
- Latin
sapere
“to have flavor; to be wise”
The transition from physical tasting to mental discernment is a common semantic shift in Indo-European languages.
- Classical Latin
sapiens
“wise, discerning”
Present participle of sapere.
- 18th century (Linnaean taxonomy)
Homo sapiens
“Wise man”
Used by Carl Linnaeus to classify humans.
Connections
Word parts
sap-
root
to taste, perceive
-iens
suffix
participle marker
Related across languages
French
sage
wise
Italian
sapere
to know
Related words
Explore next
Related to sapiens
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.