The daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z is following in her parents' footsteps in a major way: She just scored her first Grammy nomination at the tender age of 8. Indeed, there are instances of the use of protégé where the word seems intended to have also absorbed the meanings of prodigy: Sometimes, it seems like these words are interchangeable. Transcripts of other broadcasts show that this is not an isolated case (although transcription errors may also be at fault). For instance, Zaila Avant-Garde, the winner of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee and also an outstanding athlete, was identified as a “basketball protégé” on a National Public Radio news program.
#PROTEGE DEFINITION PROFESSIONAL#
Careful editors usually fix this in professional writing, but, probably because of the phonetic similarity of these words, this confusion can happen sometimes when we are speaking. A prodigy can certainly be the protégé of someone and a protégé can be a prodigy, but there are also many instances of the almost certainly erroneous “child protégé” if you search for them.
Overlap between 'Prodigy' and 'Protégé'īecause both words can be used to refer to young people, they can cross or overlap-and be confused. Protégé means “one who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence.” Its use implies great potential on the part of the protégé, and the interest and attention of the mentor figure. This word is the kind of borrowing that retains its French spelling (those acute accent marks) and pronunciation sometimes grants a slightly fancy or officious position, status, or standing and came into English during or after the 17th century. The related adjective prodigious is also used in this context, often in the phrase “prodigious talent.” (The similarly spelled prodigal is unrelated it comes from the Latin word meaning “to squander.”) The Origin of 'Protégé'Īs for protégé, meaning literally “one who is protected,” it comes from the French verb proteger, itself derived from the Latin protegere.
This “talented child” meaning has essentially displaced all others for us today. This is the meaning that developed into our modern use of the word, “a highly talented child or youth,” since a prodigy’s talent is often astonishing and inexplicable-so much so that they might seem to be “ monstrous” (using the word’s “deviating greatly from the natural form or character, abnormal” definition).
Prōdigium also meant “monster” or “something that is extraordinary or inexplicable.” Shakespeare also used prodigy this way, in The Taming of the Shrew: Of broached mischief to the unborn times? Where did you give a fair and natural light, Prodigy comes from the Latin word prōdigium, and its first use in English in the 1400s matched the original Latin meaning of “omen, portent.” Shakespeare used it this way in Henry IV, Part 1: They also both derive from Latin, but this is where the similarity ends. Prodigy and protégé are words that have a lot in common: they sound alike and are often used to refer to young people.
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