Etymograph

English

argute

Argute comes from Latin argūtus ‘expressive’, and goes back to arguō ‘to clarify’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguō1‘to clarify’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargūtus1‘expressive’perfect passive participle of arguō
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1820argute1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English argute
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1820, Walter Scott, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman: “Suppose,” said Roland Græme, “we should begin as in…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEarguōWiktionary, English argute‘to clarify’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargūtusWiktionary, English argute‘expressive’perfect passive participle of arguō
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1820arguteWiktionary, English argute. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1820, Walter Scott, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne & Co.] for Longman: “Suppose,” said Roland Græme, “we should begin as in…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, shining’

argentine, argent, 51 more

through Proto-Italic *argus

argumentative, argumentation, 28 more

through Latin arguō ‘to clarify’

argument, argue, arguable, 30 more

Today it means

adj Sharp; perceptive; shrewd.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “argute”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin arguō / argute

Shirt and support for this word