prowess

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpɹaʊɪs/ (UK); /ˈpraʊ(w)əs/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English prouesse,^[2][3][4] from Old French proece (“prowess, brave deed”),^[5][2][3][6] from prou, a later form of prud “brave, valiant”,^[5][2][3][4] from Vulgar Latin *prōdis.^[2][3] It is related to proud.^[5][2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

An act of bravery (probably 1225).^[2][3]

Semantic evolution

By about 1300 the word meant military bravery combined with skill in combat.^[3][7][2] A Middle English sense of moral goodness is obsolete.^[7] The sense of exceptional skill in any field, as on the football field, is recorded from 1916^[7] and is now common.^[5][4][6][1] The OED notes the word was often one syllable in the 15th–17th centuries.^[3]

Timeline

• probably 1225 – a brave deed.^[2][3]
• about 1290 – valour, martial daring.^[7][2]
• about 1374 – moral goodness, now obsolete.^[7]
• 1916 – exceptional skill in a field.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Exceptional skill or ability in a particular field.
2. Great bravery or skill, especially in battle.

Word family

• prowessed

Related words

• prow
• proud

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press