prodígio

Forms

prodígio m (plural prodígios)^[1] The oldest form, of the 15th century, is prodygya;^[2] prodígios is recorded in 1574–1590.^[3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin prōdigium (“portent, prodigy”).^[3][4][5][6] Nascentes calls it a learned word.^[5]

The origin of the Latin word is uncertain: the OLD connects its second element either with agō (“to drive, do”) or with aiō (“to say”).^[2] Wiktionary analyses it as prō-, the verb meaning “to say” and the noun suffix -ium, and Lewis and Short took it for an older prodicium from prōdīcō.^[7][8] It is not related to pródigo “wasteful”.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss dates the first record, spelt prodygya, to the 15th century.^[3] In Latin the word was a sign foretelling a disaster, and in Medieval Latin it also meant a miracle.^[2][9]

Semantic evolution

Bluteau in 1712 defines a prodigio as something extraordinary, natural or supernatural, that seems an omen of good or bad fortune, and mentions the view that the word is an antiphrasis for things nature is not lavish with.^[10] Morais in 1789 gives “a thing outside nature, a monstrosity, marvel, miracle” and the figurative use for a person, aquelle prodigio de engenho.^[11]

The sense “person of extraordinary talent” grew from this.^[3] Caldas Aulete records menino prodígio or criança prodígio for an exceptionally intelligent and precocious child, noting that it was also used ironically of pert children.^[12] The word is now also an adjective, “exceptionally gifted for one's age”.^[3][6][4]

Timeline

• 15th century – first record, spelt prodygya.^[3]
• 1574–1590 – the plural prodígios.^[3]
• 1697 – Pereira's Thesouro glosses Prodigio with Latin prodigium.^[13]
• 1712 – Bluteau defines it as an extraordinary thing that seems an omen.^[10]
• 1789 – Morais records the figurative use for a person.^[11]

Meanings

Noun

1. An event that is or seems to be against the laws of nature; something supernatural.^[3][14]
2. An extraordinary thing or deed; a marvel, a miracle: um prodígio de engenharia.^[3][15][4]
3. A person of exceptional ability or talent; a prodigy, a portento.^[3][15][6]

Adjective

1. Of a child: exceptionally intelligent or gifted for its age: um pianista prodígio.^[3][6][4]

Related words

• prodigioso
• portento
• Latin prōdigium

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. s.v. prōdigium
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. prodígio
4. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. prodígio
5. ^ a b Nascentes, Antenor (1966), Dicionário etimológico resumido, Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional do Livro, p. s.v. prodígio
6. ^ a b c d Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. prodígio
7. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. prodigium
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. prōdigium
9. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. prodigium
10. ^ a b Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. prodigio
11. ^ a b Silva, António de Morais (1789), Diccionario da lingua portugueza composto pelo padre D. Rafael Bluteau, reformado, e accrescentado, 2 vols., Lisboa: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, p. 2, 248
12. ^ Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. prodígio
13. ^ Pereira, Bento (1697), Thesouro da lingoa portuguesa, in the 1697 edition of his Prosodia (1st ed. 1647; CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. prodigio
14. ^ Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. prodígio
15. ^ a b Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. prodígio