Prodigy

Prodigy

Noun · /ˈprɒdɪdʒi/ · a person with exceptional talent at an unusually young age; or a remarkable thing or event

Definition

A prodigy is a person — usually a child or young person — who possesses extraordinary abilities or talent far beyond what is expected for their age. The word can also refer to a remarkable, extraordinary thing: a prodigy of nature. It always carries a sense of wonder and of natural gifts that exceed the ordinary measure.

Origin

From Latin prodigium — a portent, an omen, a marvel. Something so far outside the natural order that it must be a divine sign. The same root gives prodigious. A prodigy was originally a wondrous or monstrous event interpreted as an omen. Over time the supernatural sense faded, leaving only the astonishing natural gift — the child who plays like a master, the mind that grasps what takes others decades to learn.