sapiens

Forms

sapiēns (genitive sapientis; comparative sapientior, superlative sapientissimus); third-declension adjective, also a masculine noun^[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle of sapiō “to taste; to be wise”, used as an adjective and a noun.^[1][2][3] De Vaan derives the verb from Proto-Italic *sap-i-, from Proto-Indo-European *sh₁p-i- (“to notice”), though the laryngeal in the root is uncertain.^[4]

Compare Oscan sipus (“knowing”), Old Saxon ansebbian (“to notice”) and Old Norse sefi (“thought”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found in the epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus: fortis vir sapiēnsque, “a brave and wise man”.^[1] In literature it is found from Plautus on.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Sapiēns means “rational, endowed with a mind”, and above all “wise, sensible, of sound judgement”.^[1][5] It was given as a surname, especially to jurists: Cato and Laelius were both called Sapiēns.^[1] As a noun it is “a wise man”, especially one who is also virtuous.^[1]

In Medieval Latin the plural sapientēs was used for the members of the Anglo-Saxon royal council and of town councils.^[6] The adverb is sapienter and the noun sapientia “wisdom”.^[5]

Timeline

• Old Latin – The epitaph of Scipio Barbatus: fortis vir sapiēnsque.^[1]
• c. 250–184 BC – Found in Plautus.^[3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of Gāius Laelius, is quī Sapiēns ūsurpātur, “Gaius Laelius, who is called the Wise”.^[1][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Rational, endowed with a mind.^[1]
2. wise, sensible, of sound judgement.^[1][5]
3. (as a surname) The Wise (especially of jurists).^[1]

Noun

1. A wise man, a sage.^[1]
2. (Medieval Latin, plural) Members of the Anglo-Saxon witan;^[6] members of a town council.^[6]

Word family

• sapienter
• sapientia

Related words

• sapiō
• prūdēns
• sapor

Usage notes

Döderlein calls the sapiēns the person who chooses the right ends and pursues them calmly, while prūdēns and callidus describe one who chooses the right means.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper