acumen (2009-04-27)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: ['æ-kyu-mên, ê-'kyu-mên]

Definition: Sharpness of perception, keenness of mind, precise insightfulness.

Usage: Today's word is more precise and focused than "smart" or "intelligent;" it indicates a clarity of thought, "Marjorie is not only intelligent and well-educated; her acumen leads us through the murkiest problems quickly and surely." In this sentence, using the focused term serves to emphasize (the absence of ) intelligence, "How much acumen does it take to avoid sticking your tongue to a frozen pipe the second time?"

Suggested Usage: Today's word seems to be an orphan but it is related to the family of acuminate "to sharpen, shape into a point," whose noun is "acumination." We see a clearer resemblance in the adjective of today's word, acuminous "perceptive, insightful." Notice the [e] becomes the same [i] that we see in the related verb. Accent on the second syllable, [æ-'kyu-men], is considered by most a bit old-fashioned today, certainly in the United States.

Etymology: Today's word comes from Latin acumen "acuteness, keenness" from acuere "to sharpen," akin to acus "needle." The past participle of this verb, "acutus," came to English as "acute." The Greek word for "needle" is very similar, "akis." The Greek words akme "point" and akros "topmost," from which we get "acrobat," come from the same Proto-Indo-European root, *ak- "sharp." It also turns up in Greek oxus "sour," found in our own sweet "oxygen." In the Germanic languages, this root became English "edge" and in Old Norse eggja "to goad, incite." Old English borrowed the Norse word as the verb "egg (on)," which is totally unrelated to the noun "egg."