English
inexpert
Inexpert comes from Latin inexpertus ‘inexperienced in, unaccustomed to a thing’, from expertus ‘experienced’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to provide, produce, beget’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-1‘to provide, produce, beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*parjō1‘to bear, give birth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpariō1‘to bear, to give birth to’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexperior2‘test, attempt, experience’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpertus3‘experienced’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinexpertus4‘inexperienced in, unaccustomed to a thing’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600inexpert4uncertain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inexpert4
- Englishtodayinexpert4
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin experior
- 2 Wiktionary, Latin expertus
- 3 Wiktionary, Latin inexpertus
- 4 Wiktionary, English inexpert
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*perh₃-Wiktionary, Latin experior‘to provide, produce, beget’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*parjōWiktionary, Latin experior‘to bear, give birth’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpariōWiktionary, Latin experior‘to bear, to give birth to’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexperiorWiktionary, Latin expertus‘test, attempt, experience’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexpertusWiktionary, Latin inexpertus‘experienced’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinexpertusWiktionary, English inexpert‘inexperienced in, unaccustomed to a thing’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600inexpertWiktionary, English inexpertuncertain
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inexpertWiktionary, English inexpert
- EnglishtodayinexpertWiktionary, English inexpert
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- ‘to provide, produce, beget’
part, empire, repair, preparation, imperial, para, parental, parcel, pare, imperious, imperium, 45 more
through Latin pariō ‘to bear, to give birth to’
through Latin experior ‘test, attempt, experience’
through Latin expertus ‘experienced’
Today it means
adj Inept or unskilled; not of expert ability or quality.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “inexpert”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin experior, Latin expertus, Latin inexpertus. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *perh₃- / inexpert