Entalent

/ɛnˈtælənt/ verb

Definition

An archaic term meaning to endow with talent or natural ability; to give someone a special skill or gift.

Etymology

From 'en-' (to cause to be, to put into) + 'talent' (natural ability, skill). Talent itself comes from Latin 'talentum' (weight, balance, sum of money), which shifted to mean mental ability. The prefix makes the noun into an action.

Kelly Says

This archaic word shows how English speakers once casually 'entalented' people—bestowed gifts on them—but we don't use it anymore because we started thinking of talent as something internal that people develop rather than something given to them like a present.

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