savvy

Where does the word "savvy" come from? It comes from Spanish sabe, and was adopted directly into English (1780s).

Savvy’s story begins in Spanish: sabe meant “knows.” 'he knows', from 'saber', to know; Portuguese 'sabe' is the same. It reached English by 1780s as savvy. Spread through the pidgin of sailors and traders in the Caribbean and Africa: '¿sabe usted?', do you know? Today, savvy means shrewd; practical knowledge.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · medieval sabe "knows", 'he knows', from 'saber', to know; Portuguese 'sabe' is the same.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1780s savvy "know-how", spread through the pidgin of sailors and traders in the Caribbean and Africa: '¿sabe usted?', do you know?.