prodigy

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Middle English prodige ‎(“portent”), from Latin prōdigium ‎(“omen, portent, prophetic sign”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒdᵻdʒi/

Noun

prodigy ‎(plural prodigies)

1. (now rare) An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a portent. [from 15th c.]
   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 87:

     John Foxe believed that special prodigies had heralded the Reformation.

2. An extraordinary occurrence or creature; an anomaly, especially a monster; a freak. [from 16th c.]
3. An amazing or marvellous thing; a wonder. [from 17th c.]
4. A wonderful example of something. [from 17th c.]
5. An extremely talented person, especially a child. [from 17th c.]

Synonyms

• (extremely talented person): wunderkind, girl wonder, girl-genius, boy-genius, boy wonder, child prodigy.

Related terms

• prodigious

Translations

something from which omens are drawn

• Catalan: prodigi (ca) m
• Finnish: enne (fi), ennusmerkki (fi)
• French: présage (fr), augure (fr), auspices (fr)
• German: Orakel (de)

• Italian: presagio (it)
• Japanese: 前兆 ‎(zenchō)
• Maori: inati
• Portuguese: presságio (pt) m
• Spanish: presagio (es), augurio, agüero (es), auspicio (es)
• Turkish: kâhin (tr)

amazing or marvellous thing

• Catalan: prodigi (ca) m
• Danish: vidunder
• Dutch: wonder (nl) n, mirakel (nl) n
• Finnish: ihme (fi)
• French: prodige (fr), miracle (fr), merveille (fr)
• German: Wunder (de) n

• Hungarian: csoda (hu)
• Italian: prodigio
• Japanese: 驚異 (ja) ‎(kyōi)
• Maori: inati
• Portuguese: prodígio (pt) m, maravilha (pt) f
• Spanish: maravilla (es), prodigio (es), portento (es), cosa extraña, milagro (es)
• Swedish: under (sv) n, underverk (sv) n, vidunder (sv) n, mirakel (sv) n

wonderful example of something

• Catalan: prodigi (ca) m
• Finnish: malliesimerkki

• Maori: inati
• Swedish: under (sv) n, underverk (sv) n
• Turkish: mucize (tr)

extremely talented person, especially a child

• Catalan: prodigi (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 神童 (zh) ‎(shéntóng) (of a child), 聖童 (zh), 圣童 (zh) ‎(shèngtóng), 資優兒童, 资优儿童 ‎(zīyōu értóng)

• Finnish: ihmelapsi
• French: enfant prodige (fr) m (of a child), génie (fr), phénomène (fr)
• German: Wunderkind n (child), Hochbegabter m, Hochbegabte f, Genie (de) n
• Hungarian: csodagyerek (hu)

• Italian: prodigio, fenomeno (it)
• Japanese: 神童 (ja) ‎(しんどう, shindō) (of a child)
• Maori: taniwha
• Norwegian: vidunderbarn n
• Portuguese: prodígio (pt) m
• Russian: вундерки́нд (ru) m ‎(vunderkínd) (of a child), ге́ний (ru) m ‎(génij)
• Spanish: prodigio (es) m, fenómeno (es), genio (es), niño prodigio
• Swedish: underbarn n
• Turkish: dâhi çocuk

See also

• precocious
• prodigal
• child prodigy
• prodigy house

External links

• prodigy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• prodigy in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• prodigy at OneLook Dictionary Search