What is the difference between prodigy and prodigal?

A prodigy is an extraordinarily talented person, especially a child genius. Prodigal is an adjective meaning “wastefully or recklessly extravagant,” or a noun meaning “a wasteful person.” This is Rembrandt’s painting “Return of the Prodigal Son,” based on a story from the Bible.

Are the words prodigal and prodigy related?

But it seems that they come from different roots: prodigal derives ultimately from the Latin word “prodigus” while prodigy comes from “prodigium.” The Latin words basically mean the same thing as the English words (“prodigium” apparently also means “omen,” but it can mean “prodigy”), and are unrelated to each other.

What does the name prodigy mean?

The word derives from the Latin prodigium, meaning “an omen or a sign of something to come.” Prodigies are kids who often seem so talented that their success must presage even greater mastery, though, of course, the irony is that most prodigies peak in their youth.

What is the adjective for prodigy?

prodigious. Very big in size or quantity; gigantic; colossal; huge. extraordinarily exciting or amazing. (obsolete) ominous, portentous.

What is the root of prodigal?

Etymologically, “prodigal” comes from the Latin “pro”, meaning “for” or “forward” and the Latin “agere” which means “to drive”, which has led to the verb “prodigere” meaning, among other things, “to consume”, and now I think you know where this is going, since “prodigal” refers to someone who consumes wastefully.

What’s the difference between Prodigy and Protege?

Prodigy refers to a highly talented child or youth. Protégé refers to a person who is taught and helped by someone who has a lot of knowledge and experience.

Is prodigal a bad word?

A prodigal person, a spendthrift. The definition of prodigal is spending money carelessly and foolishly. Prodigal is a person who left home, often under bad terms, and who then has a long-awaited and much celebrated return home.

What is the difference between prodigy and Protege?

How do you use the word prodigy?

Prodigy in a Sentence 🔉

1. Even though he was only thirteen years old, the prodigy was taking college courses.
2. The high school boy was considered a prodigy when he won the national chess championship.
3. When she won an Oscar just before her tenth birthday, many people called her a prodigy of the silver screen.

How old is a prodigy?

A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain to the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young persons who are extraordinarily talented in some field.

What’s the difference between prodigy and Protege?

What does prodigal child mean?

: a son/daughter who leaves his or her parents to do things that they do not approve of but then feels sorry and returns home —often used figuratively He left the company several years ago, but now the prodigal son has returned.

What is the difference between ‘Prodigal’ and ‘Prodigy’?

That these two words look similar seems to be a coincidence: ‘Prodigal’ comes from Latin for ‘wasteful’ (prodigus) ‘prodigy’, comes from Latin for, a sign, something extrodinary (prodigium) They do share the prefix ‘pro’, the roots have a different meaning.

Where does the phrase Prodigal Son come from?

The phrase the prodigal son comes from the biblical parable ( Parable of the Prodigal Son ). The word prodigal is not the adjective form of prodigy. In context of the parable, it refers to a person who spends money recklessly, but repents and mends his ways.

What is the adjective for prodigious?

The adjectival form, prodigious, has lost its connection with omen (portentous is often, in its place, applied to omens) and means “strange or exciting” or, in keeping with the connection to monster, “enormous.” Want to improve your English in five minutes a day?