ingenious

The story

1. Old Latin · derived fromgenere
2. Latin · derived fromingeniōsus“endowed with good natural capacity, gifted with genius”
3. Old French · derived fromengenious
4. Middle French · borrowed fromingénieux
5. English todayingenious

Borrowed from Middle French ingénieux, from Old French engenious, from Latin ingeniōsus (“endowed with good natural capacity, gifted with genius”), from ingenium (“innate or natural quality, natural capacity, genius”), from in- (“in”) + gignere (“to produce”), Old Latin genere. See also engine.