maven

Where does the word "maven" come from? It comes from Hebrew mevin, passing through Yiddish before entering English (1900s).

Maven’s story begins in Hebrew: mevin meant “one who understands.” By medieval, the word had taken hold in Yiddish as meyvn. Applied to a knowledgeable expert or connoisseur. It reached English by 1900s as maven. Yiddish 'meyvn', connoisseur, from Hebrew 'mevin', one who understands; spread by 1960s ads for Vita herring. Today, maven means a trusted expert in a particular field.

1. Stage 1 · Hebrew · ancient mevin "one who understands", meaning "one who understands".
2. Stage 2 · Yiddish · medieval meyvn "an expert, connoisseur", applied to a knowledgeable expert or connoisseur.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s maven "a trusted expert in a particular field", Yiddish 'meyvn', connoisseur, from Hebrew 'mevin', one who understands; spread by 1960s ads for Vita herring.