Online Etymology Dictionary

wise (adj.): O.E. wis, from P.Gmc. *wisaz (cf. O.S., O.Fris. wis, O.N. viss, Du. wijs, Ger. weise "wise"), from pp. adj. *wittos of PIE base *woid-/*weid-/*wid- "to see," hence "to know" (see vision). Slang meaning "aware, cunning" first attested 1896. Related to the source of O.E. witan "to know, wit."
"A wise man has no extensive knowledge; He who has extensive knowledge is not a wise man." [Lao-tzu, "Tao te Ching," c.550 B.C.E.]
Wise guy is attested from 1896, Amer.Eng.; wisecrack is from 1924. Wisenheimer, with mock Ger. or Yiddish surname suffix, first recorded 1904.
wise (n.): "way of proceeding, manner," O.E. wise, ultimately from the same source as wise (adj.). Cf. O.S. wisa, O.Fris. wis, Dan. vis, M.Du. wise, Du. wijs, O.H.G. wisa, Ger. Weise "way, manner." Most common in Eng. now as a suffix. For sense evolution from "to see" to "way of proceeding," cf. cognate Gk. eidos "form, shape, kind," also "course of action." Ground sense is "to see/know the way."
Nestor: name for "old king renowned for wise counsel," 1588, from Gk., name of the aged and wise hero in the "Iliad." In Church history, a Nestorian (1449) is a follower of Nestorius, 5c. patriarch of Constantinople, whose doctrine attributed distinct divine and human persons to Christ and was condemned as heresy.
hakeem: 1585, physician in Arab countries, from Arabic hakim "wise," from stem of hakuma "he was wise;" whence also hakam "judge," hikmah "wisdom, science."
otherwise: contracted from O.E. phrase on oðre wisan "in the other manner" (see other + -wise), which in M.E. became oþre wise, and mid-14c. oþerwise.
sophist: 1542, earlier sophister (c.1380), from L. sophista, sophistes, from Gk. sophistes, from sophizesthai "to become wise or learned," from sophos "wise, clever," of unknown origin. Gk. sophistes came to mean "one who gives intellectual instruction for pay," and, contrasted with "philosopher," it became a term of contempt. Ancient sophists were famous for their clever, specious arguments.
wizard: c.1440, "philosopher, sage," from M.E. wys "wise" (see wise (adj.)) + -ard. Cf. Lith. zynyste "magic," zynys "sorcerer," zyne "witch," all from zinoti "to know." The ground sense is perhaps "to know the future." The meaning "one with magical power" did not emerge distinctly until c.1550, the distinction between philosophy and magic being blurred in the Middle Ages. As a slang word meaning "excellent" it is recorded from 1922.
sage (adj.): "wise," c.1300, from O.Fr. sage (11c.), from Gallo-Romance *sabius, from V.L. *sapius, from L. sapere "have a taste, have good taste, be wise," from PIE base *sap- "to taste." The noun meaning "man of profound wisdom" is recorded from c.1300. Originally applied to the Seven Sages -- Thales, Solon, Periander, Cleobulus, Chilon, Bias, and Pittacus.
sophistication: c.1400, "use or employment of sophistry," from M.L. sophisticationem (nom. sophisticatio), from sophisticare "adulterate, cheat quibble," from L. sophisticus "of sophists," from Gk. sophistikos "of or pertaining to a sophist," from sophistes "a wise man, master, teacher" (see sophist). Meaning "wordly wisdom, refinement, discrimination" is attested from 1850; sophisticated (of persons) "worldly wise, discriminating, refined" is attested from 1895.
keen (adj.): O.E. cene "bold brave," later "clever, wise," from P.Gmc. *kan- "be able to" (see can). Original prehistoric senses seem to have been both "brave" and "skilled;" cf. O.N. kænn "skillful, wise," M.Du. coene "bold," O.H.G. kuon "pugnacious, strong," Ger. Kühn "bold, daring." Sense of "eager" is from mid-14c. The meaning "sharp" is peculiar to Eng.: of blades and edges early 13c., of sounds c.1400, of eyesight c.1720. A popular word of approval in teenager and student slang from c.1900.
theosophy: 1642 (implied in theosophical), "knowledge about God and nature obtained through mystical study," from M.L. theosophia (c.880), from Late Gk. theosophia (c.500, Pseudo-Dionysus) "wisdom concerning God or things divine," from Gk. theosophos "one wise about God," from theos "god" (see Thea) + sophos "wise, learned." Taken as the name of a modern philosophical system (sometimes called Esoteric Buddhism), founded in New York 1875 as "Theosophical Society" by Madame Blavatsky and others, which combines teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism.
sapient: "wise," 1468, from O.Fr. sapient, from L. sapientem (nom. sapiens), prp. of sapere "to taste, have taste, be wise," from PIE base *sep- "to taste, perceive" (cf. O.S. an-sebban "to perceive, remark," O.H.G. antseffen, O.E. sefa "mind, understanding, insight"). Sapience "wisdom, understanding" is recorded from c.1300.
word: O.E. word "speech, talk, utterance, word," from P.Gmc. *wurdan (cf. O.S., O.Fris. word, Du. woord, O.H.G., Ger. wort, O.N. orð, Goth. waurd), from PIE *were- "speak, say" (see verb). The meaning "promise" was in O.E., as was the theological sense. In the plural, the meaning "verbal altercation" (as in to have words with someone) dates from 1462. Wordy is O.E. wordig "verbose." Wording "choice of words" apparently was coined by Milton (in "Eikonoklastes," 1649). Word processor first recorded 1970. A word to the wise is from L. phrase verbum sapienti satis est "a word to the wise is enough." Word of mouth is recorded from c.1553.
philosopher: O.E. philosophe, from L. philosophus, from Gk. philosophos "philosopher," lit. "lover of wisdom," from philos "loving" + sophos "wise, a sage."
"Pythagoras was the first who called himself philosophos, instead of sophos, 'wise man,' since this latter term was suggestive of immodesty." [Klein]
Modern form with -r appears early 14c., from an Anglo-Fr. or O.Fr. variant of philosophe, with an agent-noun ending. Philosophy also was used of alchemy in Middle Ages, hence Philosophers' stone (late 14c., translating M.L. lapis philosophorum, c.1130), a reputed solid substance supposed by alchemists to change baser metals into gold or silver; also identified with the elixir and thus given the attribute of prolonging life indefinitely and curing wounds and disease. (Fr. pierre philosophale, Ger. der Stein der Weisen).
witty: O.E. wittig "clever, wise," from wit (n.) "intellect." Meaning "possessing sparkling wit" is recorded from 1588.
likewise: 1489, from the phrase in like wise "in the same manner" (1449), from like (adj.).
kahuna: 1886, "Hawaiian priest or minister, expert or wise man," from Hawaiian, where it was applied to priests, doctors, sorcerers, and navigators. In surfer slang, for "a god of surfing," it is attested from 1962 (but big kahuna in same sense is said to date from 1950s).
gimmick: 1926 (in Maine & Grant's "Wise-Crack Dictionary," which defines it as "a device used for making a fair game crooked"), Amer.Eng., perhaps an alteration of gimcrack, or an anagram of magic.
Gotham: "New York City," first used by Washington Irving, 1807, based on "Merrie Tales of the Mad Men of Gotham" (1460), a collection of legendary stories of English villagers alternately wise and foolish. There is a village of this name in Nottinghamshire, originally Gatham (1086), O.E., "Enclosure (lit. 'homestead') where goats are kept." It is unknown if this was the place intended.
streetwise: 1965, from street + wise (adj.) "smart, savvy."
well-done: c.1200, "wise, prudent," from well (adv.) + pt. of do. Meaning "thoroughly cooked," in ref. to meat, is attested from 1747. Well done! as an exclamation of approval is recorded from c.1460.
astrologer: late 14c., from astrology (q.v.). Drove out Fr. import astrologein, which, had it survived, probably would have yielded *astrologian; cf. Chaucer's "The wise Astrologen."
expert (adj.): late 14c., from L. expertus, pp. of experiri "to try, test" (see experience). The n. sense of "person wise through experience" existed 15c., reappeared 1825.
clockwise: 1879, from clock + wise (n.).
Sophocles: Athenian tragic poet (c.496-406 B.C.E.), the name is Gk. Sophokles, lit. "famed for wisdom," from sophos "wise" + *-kles "fame" (see Damocles).
Sophia: fem. proper name, from Gk. sophia "wisdom," from sophos "wise."
Gloucester: English county, O.E. Gleawceaster, from L. Coloniae Glev (2c.), from Glevo, a Celtic name meaning "bright place" (perhaps influenced by O.E. gleaw "wise, prudent") + O.E. ceaster "Roman town."
righteous: early 16c. alteration of rightwise, from O.E. rihtwis, from riht (see right) + wis "wise, way, manner." Suffix altered by influence of courteous, etc. Meaning "genuine, excellent" is c.1900 in jazz slang.
suttee: "self-cremation of a Hindu widow on her husband's funeral pyre," 1786, from Hindi, from Skt. sati "virtuous woman," fem. of sat "good, wise," lit. "existing," prp. of asmi "I am" (cognate with L. esse; see essence). Properly, the word for the woman who does so. The custom was abolished in British India in 1829.
savvy: 1785, as a noun, "practical sense, intelligence;" also a verb, "to know, to understand;" W. Indies pidgin borrowing of Fr. savez(-vous)? "do you know?" or Sp. sabe (usted) "you know," both from V.L. *sapere, from L. sapere "be wise, be knowing" (see sapient). The adj. is first recorded 1905, from the noun.
apparition: 1520s, from Anglo-Fr. aparicion, from O.Fr. apparition, used in reference to the Epiphany (revealing of Christ child to the Wise Men), from L.L. apparitionem (nom. apparitio) "an appearance," also "attendants," in classical Latin "service, servants," from pp. stem of apparere "appear" (see appear). Meaning "ghost" first recorded c.1600.
anywise: O.E., from any + wise (n.).
mentor: "wise advisor," 1750, from Gk. Mentor, character in the "Odyssey," friend of Odysseus, adviser of Telemachus (often actually Athene in disguise), perhaps ult. meaning "adviser," since the name appears to be an agent noun of mentos "intent, purpose, spirit, passion" from PIE *mon-eyo- (cf. Skt. man-tar- "one who thinks," L. mon-i-tor "one who admonishes"), causative form of base *men- "to think" (see mental).
sophism: c.1350, "specious but fallacious argument," from O.Fr. sophime "a fallacy, false argument," from L. sophisma, from Gk. sophisma "sophism, clever device," from sophizesthai "become wise" (see sophist).
Solomon: masc. proper name, Biblical name of David's son, king of Judah and Israel and wisest of all men, from Gk. Solomon, from Heb. Sh'lomoh, from shelomo "peaceful," from shalom "peace." The Arabic form is Suleiman. The common medieval form was Salomon (Vulgate, Tyndale, Douai); Solomon was used in Geneva Bible and KJV. Used allusively for "a wise ruler" since 1554.
insipid: 1620, "without taste or perceptible flavor," from Fr. insipide, from L.L. inspidus "tasteless," from L. in- "not" + sapidus "tasty," from sapere "have a taste" (also "be wise"). Fig. meaning "uninteresting, dull" first recorded 1649, but it was also a secondary sense in M.L.
"In ye coach ... went Mrs. Barlow, the King's mistress and mother to ye Duke of Monmouth, a browne, beautifull, bold, but insipid creature." [John Evelyn, diary, Aug. 18, 1649]
Wicca: An O.E. masc. noun meaning "male witch, wizard, soothsayer, sorcerer, magician;" see witch. Use of the word in modern contexts traces to English folklorist Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), who is said to have joined circa 1939 an occult group in New Forest, Hampshire, England, for which he claimed an unbroken tradition to medieval times. Gardner seems to have first used it in print in 1954, in his book "Witchcraft Today" (e.g.: "Witches were the Wica or wise people, with herbal knowledge and a working occult teaching usually used for good ...."). In published and unpublished material, he apparently only ever used the word as a mass noun referring to adherents of the practice and not as the name of the practice itself. Some of his followers continue to use it in this sense. According to Gardner's book "The Meaning of Witchcraft" (1959), the word, as used in the initiation ceremony, played a key role in his experience:
I realised that I had stumbled upon something interesting; but I was half-initiated before the word, 'Wica' which they used hit me like a thunderbolt, and I knew where I was, and that the Old Religion still existed. And so I found myself in the Circle, and there took the usual oath of secrecy, which bound me not to reveal certain things.
In the late 1960s the term came into use as the title of a modern pagan movement associated with witchcraft. The first printed reference in this usage seems to be 1969, in "The Truth About Witchcraft" by freelance author Hans Holzer:
If the practice of the Old Religion, which is also called Wicca (Craft of the Wise), and thence, witchcraft, is a reputable and useful cult, then it is worthy of public interest.
And, quoting witch Alex Sanders:
"No, a witch wedding still needs a civil ceremony to make it legal. Wicca itself as a religion is not registered yet. But it is about time somebody registered it, I think. I've done all I can to call attention to our religion."
Sanders was a highly visible representative of neo-pagan Witchcraft in the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this time he appears to have popularized use of the term in this sense. Later books c.1989 teaching modernized witchcraft using the same term account for its rise and popularity, especially in U.S.
worldly: O.E. woruldlic, from the roots of world and like (adj.). A common Gmc. compound (cf. O.Fris. wraldlik, O.S. weroldlik, M.Du. wereldlik, Ger. weltlich, O.N. veraldligr). Worldly-wise is recorded from c.1400.
guise: c.1275, from O.Fr. guise, from Frank. *wisa (cf. O.H.G. wisa "manner, wise").
sophomore: 1688, "student in the second year of university study," lit. "arguer," altered from sophumer (1653, from sophume, archaic variant form of sophism), probably by influence of folk etymology derivation from Gk. sophos "wise" + moros "foolish, dull." Short form soph is attested from 1778. Sophomoric "characteristic of a sophomore" (regarded as self-assured and opinionated but crude and immature) is attested from 1837.
Homo sapiens: 1802, in William Turton's translation of Linnæus, coined in Mod.L. from L. homo "man" (technically "male human," but in logical and scholastic writing "human being") + sapiens, prp. of sapere "be wise." Used since in various L. or pseudo-L. combinations intended to emphasize some aspect of humanity, cf. Henri Bergson's Homo faber "man the tool-maker," in "L'Evolution Créatrice" (1907). Homo as a genus of the order Primates is first recorded 1797.
verdure: c.1300, "fresh green color," from O.Fr. verdure "greenness," from verd, variant of vert "green," from L. viridis (cf. Sp., It. verde), related to virere "be green," of unknown origin. Perhaps ult. from a root meaning "growing plant" and cognate with Lith. veisti "propagate," O.N. visir "bud, sprout," O.E. wise "sprout, stalk, etc." Meaning "green plants, vegetation" is attested from c.1400.
unwise: O.E. unwis, from un- (1) "not" + wise. Cf. M.Du. onwijs, O.H.G. unwis, Ger. unweise, O.N. uviss, Goth. unweis. Unwisely is O.E. unwislice.
savant: 1719, from Fr. savant "a learned man," noun use of adj. savant "learned, knowing," former prp. of savoir "to know," from O.Fr., from V.L. *sapere, from L. sapere "be wise" (see sapient).
wisdom: O.E. wisdom, from wis (see wise (adj.)) + -dom. A common Gmc. compound (cf. O.S., O.Fris. wisdom, O.N. visdomr, O.H.G. wistuom "wisdom," Ger. Weistum "judicial sentence serving as a precedent"). Wisdom teeth so called from 1848 (earlier teeth of wisdom, 1668), a loan-translation of L. dentes sapientiæ, itself a loan-transl. of Gk. sophronisteres (used by Hippocrates, from sophron "prudent, self-controlled"), so called because they usually appear ages 17-25, when a person reaches adulthood.
individual: "a single object or thing," c.1600, from M.L. individualis, from L. individuus "indivisible," from in- "not" + dividuus "divisible," from dividere "divide." Colloquial sense of "person" is attested from 1742. As an adj., used from early 15c. meaning "one and indivisible" (with ref. to the Trinity). Sense of "single, separate" is 1610s; meaning "intended for one person" is from 1889.
"A majority can never replace the individual. ... Just as a hundred fools do not make one wise man, a heroic decision is not likely to come from a hundred cowards." [Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf," 1933]
philosophy: c.1300, from O.Fr. filosofie (12c.), from L. philosophia, from Gk. philosophia "love of knowledge, wisdom," from philo- "loving" + sophia "knowledge, wisdom," from sophis "wise, learned."
Nec quicquam aliud est philosophia, si interpretari velis, praeter studium sapientiae; sapientia autem est rerum divinarum et humanarum causarumque quibus eae res continentur scientia. [Cicero, "De Officiis"]
Meaning "system a person forms for conduct of life" is attested from 1771. Philosophize is attested from 1594.
stupid: 1541, "mentally slow," from M.Fr. stupide, from L. stupidus "amazed, confounded," lit. "struck senseless," from stupere "be stunned, amazed, confounded," from PIE *(s)tupe- "hit," from base *(s)teu- (see steep (adj.)). Native words for this idea include negative compounds with words for "wise" (cf. O.E. unwis, unsnotor, ungleaw), also dol (from root of Ger. toll "mad," related to Gk. tholeros "muddy, turbid"), and dysig (see dizzy). Stupid retained its association with stupor and its overtones of "stunned by surprise, grief, etc." into mid-18c. The difference between stupid and the less opprobrious foolish roughly parallels that of Ger. töricht vs. dumm but does not exist in most European languages.
caveat: 1549, from L. "let him beware," 3rd pers. sing. pres. subjunctive of cavere "to beware, take heed, watch, guard against," from PIE base *skeue- "to pay attention, perceive" (cf. Skt. kavih "wise, sage, seer, poet;" Lith. kavoti "tend, safeguard;" Arm. cucanem "I show;" L. cautio "wariness;" Gk. koein "to mark, perceive, hear," kydos "glory, fame," lit. "that which is heard of;" O.C.S. chujo "to feel, perceive, hear," cudo "wonder," lit. "that which is heard of;" Czech (z)koumati "to perceive, be aware of;" Serbian chuvati "watch, heed;" O.E. sceawian "to look at;" M.Du. schoon "beautiful, bright," prop. "showy;" Goth. hausjan "hear").
mathematic: c.1380 as singular, replaced by early 17c. by mathematics (1581), from L. mathematica (pl.), from Gk. mathematike tekhne "mathematical science," fem. sing. of mathematikos (adj.) "relating to mathematics, scientific," from mathema (gen. mathematos) "science, knowledge, mathematical knowledge," related to manthanein "to learn," from PIE base *mn-/*men-/*mon- "to think, have one's mind aroused" (cf. Gk. menthere "to care," Lith. mandras "wide-awake," O.C.S. madru "wise, sage," Goth. mundonsis "to look at," Ger. munter "awake, lively"). Mathematics (pl.) originally denoted the mathematical sciences collectively, including geometry, astronomy, optics. Math is the Amer.Eng. shortening, attested from 1890; the British preference, maths is attested from 1911.