View source for genius

{{also|génius|Genius}}
==English==
{{wp}}

===Etymology===
{{root|en|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}
From {{bor|en|la|genius|t=[[inborn]] [[nature]]; a [[tutelary deity]] of a [[person]] or [[place]]; [[wit]], [[brilliance]]}}, from {{m|la|gignō|t=to beget, produce}}, {{der|en|itc-ola|genō}}, from the {{der|en|ine-pro|-}} root {{m|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}. {{doublet|en|genio}}. ''See also'' [[genus]].

===Pronunciation===
* {{enPR|jēniəs|jēnyəs}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˈdʒiː.nɪəs/|a=RP}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˈd͡ʒin.jəs/|/ˈd͡ʒi.ni.əs/|a=GenAm}}
* {{audio|en|en-us-genius.ogg|a=US}}
* {{rhymes|en|iːniəs|iːnjəs|s=3}}

===Noun===
{{en-noun|~|+|genii}}

# {{senseid|en|talented or smart person}} {{lb|en|countable}} Someone possessing extraordinary [[intelligence]] or [[skill]]; especially somebody who has demonstrated this by a creative or original work in science, music, art etc.
#: {{syn|en|Thesaurus:genius}}
#: {{ant|en|idiot}}
#: {{cot|en|idiot savant}}
# {{senseid|en|capacity of a talented or smart person}} {{lb|en|uncountable}} Extraordinary [[mental]] [[capacity]].
#* {{quote-journal|en|quotee=Whirligig|editor=William Kidd|journal=Kidd’s Own Journal; for Inter-Communications on Natural History, Popular Science, and Things in General|volume=IV|issue=8|location=London|publisher=William Spooner,{{nb...|No. 379, Strand}}; Richard Groombridge and Sons,{{nb...|5, Paternoster Row; and procurable, by order, of all booksellers. Agent for Dublin, John Wiseheart; Edinburgh, J. Menzies; Glasgow, John M‘Leod.}}|year=1853|page=124|pageurl=https://archive.org/details/kiddsownjournal04kidd/page/124/mode/1up|column=2|passage=Excuse, therefore, the shortcomings of '''genius''' under the sudorific influence of the summer solstice; for be assured that the vertical sun, however it may dulcify and mature cherries, plums, and other fruitful ‘plumpitudes,’ is by no means favorable to the development of intellectual products.}}
#* {{RQ:Churchill Celebrity|chapter=1|passage=In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of '''genius''' whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts,&nbsp;[&hellip;], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.}}
# {{senseid|en|inspiration or inspired performance}} {{lb|en|uncountable}} [[inspiration|Inspiration]], a mental leap, an extraordinary creative process.
#: {{ux|en|a work of '''genius'''}}
#: {{ux|en|to add a dash of cinnamon amid such umami was pure '''genius'''}}
# {{senseid|en|animating spirit}} {{lb|en|countable|Roman mythology|also|figuratively}} The [[tutelary deity]] or [[spirit]] of a [[place]] or [[person]].
#: {{syn|en|tutelary deity|Thesaurus:spirit}}
#: {{ux|en|and the '''genius''' of the place: the growing enthusiasm for codified standards in the Army and Navy}}
#* {{RQ:Milton Poems|poem=the unseen '''genius''' of the wood}}
#* {{quote-text|en|year=1715|author=w:Edward Burnett Tylor|title=Primitive Culture
|passage=We talk of genius still, but with thought how changed! The '''genius''' of Augustus was a tutelary demon, to be sworn by and to receive offerings on an altar as a deity.}}
#* {{quote-text|en|year=1866|author=Frederick F. Wyman|title=From Calcutta to the Snowy Range|page=330
|passage=An old sinner, in shape of a khansamah, is the '''genius''' of the place, and has rarely aught else to tempt the tired traveller with than a “sudden death”—a fowl caught running in the yard, and dished up forthwith; {{...}}}}

====Usage notes====
* The plural {{m|en|genii}}, although usual in mythology ({{senseno|en|animating spirit}}), is rare and only used humorously to refer to talented or smart people ({{senseno|en|talented or smart person}}).

====Derived terms====
{{der2|en|bonus genius|dumb genius|evil genius|genius familiae|genius hominis|genius loci|genius locorum|malus genius|stroke of genius}}

====Related terms====
{{rootsee|en|ine|ǵenh₁}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|someone possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill}}
* Afrikaans: {{t+|af|genie}}
* Albanian: {{t+|sq|gjeni}}
* Arabic: {{t-check|ar|عَبْقَرِيّ|?}}, {{t|ar|نابغة|tr=nābiḡa}}
* Armenian: {{t+|hy|հանճար}}
* Assamese: {{t-needed|as}}
* Azerbaijani: {{t+|az|dahi}}
* Basque: {{t|eu|jeinu}}
* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|ге́ний|m}}
* Burmese: {{t-needed|my}}
* Catalan: {{t+|ca|geni|m}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|人才|tr=réncái}}, {{t+|cmn|天才|tr=tiāncái}}
* Czech: {{t+|cs|génius|m}}
* Dutch: {{t+|nl|genie|n}}
* Esperanto: {{t|eo|geniulo}}
* Estonian: {{t|et|geenius}}, {{t|et|suurvaim}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|nero}}
* French: {{t+|fr|génie|m}}
* Galician: {{t+|gl|xenio|m}}
* Georgian: {{t|ka|გენიოსი}}, {{t|ka|გენია}}, {{t|ka|ნიჭიერი ადამიანი}}
* German: {{t+|de|Genie|n}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|μεγαλοφυία|f}}, {{t+|el|ιδιοφυία|f}}
* Hawaiian: {{t|haw|akamai}}
* Hebrew: {{t+|he|גאון|m|tr=ga'on}}
* Hindi: {{t+|hi|प्रतिभाशाली}}, {{t+|hi|प्रतिभावान}}
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|géniusz}}, {{t+|hu|zseni}}, {{t+|hu|lángész}}, {{t+|hu|lángelme}}
* Icelandic: {{t+|is|snillingur|m}}
* Ido: {{t+|io|genio}}
* Indonesian: {{t+|id|genius}}, {{t+|id|jenius}}
* Irish: {{t|ga|duine ardéirime|m}}
* Japanese: {{t+|ja|天才|tr=てんさい, tensai}}
* Khmer: {{t|km|ទេពារក្ស|tr=teipiereak}}
* Korean: {{t+|ko|천재(天才)}}
* Kurdish:
*: Central Kurdish: {{t+|ckb|بلیمەت}}
* Ladino: {{t|lad|djenio|m}}
* Latvian: {{t|lv|ģēnijs|m}}
* Lithuanian: {{t-needed|lt}}
* Macedonian: {{t|mk|гениј|m}}, {{t|mk|генија́лец|m}}
* Malay: {{t+|ms|pintar}}
* Malayalam: {{t+|ml|പ്രതിഭ}}
* Manx: {{t|gv|ardcheeayllagh|m}}
* Maori: {{t-needed|mi}}
* Mongolian: {{t-needed|mn}}
* Persian: {{t+|fa|نابغه|tr=nâbeğe}}, {{t+|fa|ژنی|tr=ženi}}
* Polish: {{t+|pl|geniusz|m}}
* Portuguese: {{t+|pt|génio|m}} {{qualifier|Portugal}}, {{t+|pt|gênio|m}} {{qualifier|Brazil}}, {{t+|pt|crânio|m}} {{qualifier|Brazil, informal}}
* Punjabi: {{t-needed|pa}}
* Romanian: {{t+|ro|geniu|n}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|ге́ний|m}}
* Slovak: {{t+|sk|génius|m}}
* Slovene: {{t+|sl|genij|m}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|genio|m}}, {{t|es|genia|f}}, {{t+|es|portento|m}}
* Swedish: {{t+|sv|geni|n}}
* Tagalog: {{t+|tl|henyo}}
* Thai: {{t|th|อัจฉริยบุคคล|tr=àtchàríyá bùkkon}}
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|dâhi}}
* Ukrainian: {{t|uk|ге́ній|m}}
* Vietnamese: {{t+|vi|thiên tài}}
* Welsh: {{t|cy|athrylith|m|f}}
* Yiddish: {{t|yi|גאון|m|tr=goen}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-top|extraordinary mental capacity}}
* Armenian: {{t+|hy|հանճար}}
* Azerbaijani: {{t|az|düha}}
* Bulgarian: {{t|bg|гениалност|f}}
* Catalan: {{t+|ca|geni|m}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|天才|tr=tiāncái}}
* Danish: {{t|da|geni|?}}
* Dutch: {{t+|nl|genialiteit|f}}
* Estonian: {{t|et|geniaalsus}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|nerous}}, {{t+|fi|nerokkuus}}, {{t|fi|nerollisuus}}
* Galician: {{t+|gl|xenio|m}}
* Georgian: {{t|ka|ნიჭიერება}}, {{t|ka|გენიალურობა}}
* German: {{t+|de|Genialität|f}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|μεγαλοφυία|f}}
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|zsenialitás}}
* Irish: {{t|ga|ardéirim|f}}
* Ladino: {{t|lad|djenio|m}}
* Latvian: {{t|lv|apdāvinātība|f}}, {{t|lv|ģenialitāte|f}}
* Macedonian: {{t|mk|генија́лност|f}}, {{t|mk|гениј|m}}
* Manx: {{t|gv|ardcheeayll|f}}
* Persian: {{t+|fa|نبوغ|tr=nobuğ}}, {{t+|fa|ژنی|tr=ženi}}
* Polish: {{t+|pl|geniusz|m}}
* Portuguese: {{t+|pt|genialidade|f}}
* Romanian: {{t+|ro|genialitate|f}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|гениа́льность|f}}, {{t+|ru|одарённость|f}}
* Slovak: {{t+|sk|génius|?}}
* Slovene: {{t|sl|genialnost|f}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|genio|m}}
* Tagalog: {{t+|tl|henyo}}
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|deha}}
* Ukrainian: {{t|uk|геніа́льність|f}}, {{t|uk|ге́ній|m}}
* Vietnamese: {{t+|vi|thiên tài}} ({{t|vi|天才}})
* Welsh: {{t|cy|athrylith|m|f}}, {{t|cy|dawn arbennig|f}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-top|inspiration, mental leap, extraordinary creative process}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|neronleimaus}}
* Georgian: {{t|ka|გენიალურობა}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-see|tutelary deity}}

===Adjective===
{{en-adj}}

# {{lb|en|informal}} [[ingenious|Ingenious]], [[brilliant]], very [[clever]], or [[original]].
#: {{ux|en|What a '''genius''' idea!}}
#* {{quote-book|en|title=The Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the North Germanic Languages| volume=1| author=Oskar Bandle; Lennart Elmevik; Gun Widmark| year=2002| page=466| passage=Bjarte Birkeland asserts that the reason why Nynorsk writers of fiction have succeeded in coming so close to naked life is not that they are more '''genius''' than authors writing in Bokmal, but that they are using their mother tongue}}
#* {{quote-journal|en|date=May 20, 2012|author=Nathan Rabin|title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)| work=The Onion AV Club| url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/marge-gets-a-job,73723/| passage=We all know how '''genius''' “Kamp Krusty,” “A Streetcar Named Marge,” “Homer The Heretic,” “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie” and “Mr. Plow” are, but even the relatively unheralded episodes offer wall-to-wall laughs and some of the smartest, darkest, and weirdest gags ever Trojan-horsed into a network cartoon with a massive family audience.}}
#* {{quote-book|en|title=Research the Treasure| page=64| author=Iswarya Somasundaram| year=2019| passage=But Vahul was more '''genius''' than Rishi.}}
#* {{quote-journal|en|journal=Elk Valley Times| title=Dangers of vaping: Teen use of e-cigarettes considered epidemic| author=Wanda Sutherland| date=August 2, 2022| passage=She said the writing for these products “is very '''genius'''” because it's carefully done.}}

====Usage notes====
* Some writers put this word in quotation marks, especially in comparative or superlative expressions, indicating that they do not yet find it fully acceptable.

====Translations====
{{trans-top|very clever}}
* Arabic: {{t|ar|عَبْقَرِيّ}}
* Belarusian: {{t|be|генія́льны}}
* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|гениален}}
* Dutch: {{t+|nl|geniaal}}
* Polish: {{t+|pl|genialny}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|гениа́льный}}
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|dâhice}}
* Ukrainian: {{t|uk|геніа́льний}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Further reading===
* {{R:Webster 1913}}
* {{R:Century 1911}}
* {{R:Keywords|page=143}}

===Anagrams===
* {{anagrams|en|a=eginsu|Seguin}}

{{C|en|People|Stock characters}}

==Indonesian==

===Alternative forms===
* {{l|id|jenius}} {{q|nonstandard}}

===Etymology===
{{root|id|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}
{{lbor|id|la|genius|t=[[inborn]] [[nature]]; a [[tutelary deity]] of a [[person]] or [[place]]; [[wit]], [[brilliance]]}}, from {{m|la|gignō|t=to beget, produce}}, {{der|id|itc-ola|genō}}, from the {{der|id|ine-pro|-}} root {{m|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}. {{doublet|id|enjin|insinyur|zeni}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|id|[ɡeˈniʊs]|a=standard}}
* {{IPA|id|[dʒeˈniʊs]|a=common}}
* {{hyphenation|id|gé|ni|us}}

===Adjective===
{{id-adj|head=|pl=-}}

# {{l|en|genius}}: ingenious, brilliant, very clever, or original.

====Affixed terms====
{{der4|id|
| kegeniusan
}}

===Further reading===
* {{R:KBBI Daring}}

==Latin==

===Etymology===
{{root|la|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}
{{dercat|la|itc-pro|sem}}
Ultimately from {{der|la|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-|t=to beget}}, perhaps through {{der|la|itc-ola|genō|t=to beget, give birth; to produce, cause}}, {{suf|nocat=1|ine-pro||*-yós|alt2=*-yos}}; compare {{cog|gem-pro|*kunją||{{l|en|kin}}}} and {{cog|sa|जन्य|tr=jánya|t=lineage, tribe, people|g=n}}, though all probably independent formations. Comparisons with {{noncog|arc|ܓܢܝܐ|tr=ginnaya|t=tutelary deity}}, and with {{noncog|ar|جِنِّي|t=[[jinn]], [[spirit]], [[demon]]}} and {{m|ar|جَنِين|t=[[embryo]], [[germ]]}}, suggest the effects of an older {{der|la|qfa-sub}} word.

===Pronunciation===
* {{la-IPA|genius}}

===Noun===
{{la-noun|genius<2.voci>}}

# the [[deity]] or guardian [[spirit]] of a person, place, etc.; a [[daemon]], a [[daimon]] {{gloss|cf. Ancient Greek {{m|grc|δαίμων}}}}
# an [[inborn]] [[nature]] or [[innate]] [[character]], especially (though not exclusively) as [[endowed]] by a [[personal]] (especially [[tutelar]]) spirit or deity.
# {{lb|la|with respect to the [[enjoyment]] of life}} the spirit of social enjoyment, [[fondness]] for good living, [[taste]], [[appetite]], [[inclination|inclinations]]
# {{lb|la|of the intellect}} [[wit]], [[talent|talents]], genius {{gloss|rare}}

====Declension====
{{la-ndecl|genius<2.voci>}}

====Quotations====
{{rfquote|la}}
* ''Catullus[,] Tibullus and Pervigilium Veneris'', 1921, page 328f. containing Albius Tibullus III, XI, 9f. = IV, V, 9f. with a translation into English by J. P. Postgate:
*: magne '''Geni''', cape tura libens votisque faveto,<br /> si modo, cum de me cogitat, ille calet.
*:: Great '''Genius''', take this incense with a will, and smile upon my prayer, if only when he thinks on me his pulse beats high.

====Descendants====
{{top2}}
* {{desc|ca|giny|geni|bor2=1}}
* {{desc|nl|genie|bor=1}}
* {{desc|en|genius|genie|bor=1}}
* {{desc|fr|génie|bor=1}}
** {{desc|en|genie|bor=1}}
** {{desc|de|Genie|bor=1}}
* {{desc|de|Genius|bor=1}}
* {{desc|it|genio|bor=1}}
* {{desc|pt|génio|alts=1|bor=1}}
* {{desc|ro|geniu|bor=1}}
* {{desc|sh|genij|bor=1}}
* {{desc|es|genio|bor=1}}
{{bottom}}

===References===
* {{R:L&S}}
* {{R:Elementary Lewis}}
* {{R:du Cange}}
* {{R:Gaffiot}}
* {{R:Peck}}
* {{R:Smith's Persons}}
* {{R:Smith's Antiquities}}
* {{R:itc:EDL|page=260}}

{{C|la|Ethics|Religion}}

==Norwegian Bokmål==

===Etymology===
{{root|nb|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}
From {{der|nb|la|genius}}. {{doublet|nb|geni}}.

===Noun===
{{nb-noun-m1||geni}}

# {{l|en|genius}}

===References===
* {{R:BD}}
* {{R:NAOB}}

==Norwegian Nynorsk==

===Etymology===
{{root|nn|ine-pro|*ǵenh₁-}}
From {{der|nn|la|genius}}. {{doublet|nn|geni}}.

===Noun===
{{nn-noun-m1}}

# {{l|en|genius}}

===References===
* {{R:ND}}