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Scientist

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a person who studies or has expert knowledge of science

Where does the word "scientist" come from? It comes from Latin scientia, adopted directly into English (1834).

1
Stage 1 of 2
scientia
Latin · classical
"knowledge"
'knowledge', from scire 'to know'; medieval universities called any organised body of knowledge a scientia, theology included
2
Stage 2 of 2
scientist
English · 1834
"person who does science"
William Whewell proposed it at the British Association meeting in 1833, on the model of 'artist', after Coleridge objected to 'natural philosopher'; many scientists resisted it for decades
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Scientist’s story begins in Latin: scientia meant “knowledge.” 'knowledge', from scire 'to know'; medieval universities called any organised body of knowledge a scientia, theology included. It reached English by 1834 as scientist. William Whewell proposed it at the British Association meeting in 1833, on the model of 'artist', after Coleridge objected to 'natural philosopher'; many scientists resisted it for decades. Today, scientist means a person who studies or has expert knowledge of science.