Is a prodigy a genius or a monster - or both? Nowadays, it's the talent that shines through, but back in the 15th century the word's meaning was more strongly influenced by that of its Latin ancestor, prodigium, meaning "omen" or "monster." Back then, a prodigy could be any strange or weird thing that might be an omen of things to come. Even in modern English, the word sometimes refers to an extraordinary deed or accomplishment. P.G. Wodehouse used that sense when he described how a character named Pongo Twistleton was "performing prodigies with the [billiard] cue."
a new drug that is being hailed as the latest prodigy of the medical world
Recent Examples on the WebAs a child-prodigy pianist, organist and composer, Saint-Saëns was sometimes called a French Mozart. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022 Sun Ra, jazz piano prodigy from Birmingham, Ala., by way of Saturn was performing with his band, the Sun Ra Arkestra, at J.P. Widney Jr. High when someone had the misfortune of cutting the lights.Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 Paco, our genial Gyde for the day, was a former professional bullfighter and recovering chess prodigy, who has a university degree in Mexican cultural history. David Hochman, Forbes, 1 July 2022 Born in rural Georgia in 1899, Dorsey was a prodigy, a pianist who got his education in church pews and revival tents and his early work experience in barrelhouses, brothels, and bars. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 27 June 2022 The film also features Queen Latifah as his wife Teresa and Utah Jazz power forward Juancho Hernangomez in his acting debut as the aforementioned prodigy, Bo Cruz. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 20 June 2022 True to his outsider leanings, the film tells the tale of a disconnected drifter, Bobby Dupea (Nicholson), who turns his back on his life of privilege and his talent as a piano prodigy to work on an oil rig. Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 July 2022 McLaughlin has long been regarded as a prodigy of sorts, making her Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, then blossoming into a global superstar in the years since. Tom Schad, USA TODAY, 23 July 2022 Even as a child prodigy, Schumann was placed in the top tier of her contemporaries, both male and female.Hartford Courant, 9 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin prodigium omen, monster, from pro-, prod- + -igium (akin to aio I say) — more at adage