Savant

[María José]

I was listening to a 60 minutes podcast about a music savant called Derek Paravicini and I realized that I think we don't have a word for savant in Spanish, or do we?
The story is fascinating. Have a look at the video below:

[poli]

We don't in English either. That's why we borrowed it from the French n'est pas?
BTW can you use sapiente?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

¿Sabio, conocedor, experto?

[poli]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

¿Sabio, conocedor, experto?

Those woudn't be good. Savant syndrome is a mental heath condition related to autism in which the patient truly excels in one narrow field. Outside of that field the patient is completely dependent on others for
survival.
ps
I just did a very brief google search and I believe the term sindromo savant is the most common term in Spanish although sindromo del sabio also shows up. When all vocabulary fails we sometimes look to France
for solutions.

[María José]

But what strikes me is that even if the word is originally French, any English speaker would understand it, whereas I don't think any Spanish term (borrowed or otherwise) would be considered as common by a Spanish speaker.

[poli]

Originally Posted by María José

But what strikes me is that even if the word is originally French, any English speaker would understand it, whereas I don't think any Spanish term (borrowed or otherwise) would be considered as common by a Spanish speaker.

Savant became well known among English speakers after the movie "Rainman" was released. In Spanish, what is the term used for the condition the character played by Dustin Hoffman called? Anyway, I don't think savant syndrome is very common.

Here's another French term: savoir faire. It's well known among English speakers even though the commonly-used term know how means the same thing. Is there an equivalent in Spanish? Saber hacer doesn't sound right to me.

[María José]

I've watched Rainman in English, but I think over here people simply said he was autistic.
BTW, the Spanish word for syndrome is síndrome.

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

¿Sabio, conocedor, experto?

That's one meaning ( the original one), but it's not appropriate for this context.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Savant became well known among English speakers after the movie "Rainman" was released. In Spanish, what is the term used for the condition the character played by Dustin Hoffman called? Anyway, I don't think savant syndrome is very common.

Here's another French term: savoir faire. It's well known among English speakers even though the commonly-used term know how means the same thing. Is there an equivalent in Spanish? Saber hacer doesn't sound right to me.

Saber hacer, is exactly what it means, same thing with savant = sabio

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@María José & Poli: Oh, right... I hadn't noticed the context, just the word.

¿Virtuoso? In Spanish it's not limited to music, but to talk about great skill in any field.

[María José]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@María José & Poli: Oh, right... I hadn't noticed the context, just the word.

¿Virtuoso? In Spanish it's not limited to music, but to talk about great skill in any field.

But again with virtuoso you ignore the fact that the person is severely disabled. The man in the video, for example, is a great musician who can play anything he's ever heard in any key without rehearsing, but doesn't even now
how to count or how old he is.
Great smilie, by the way...

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

"Virtuoso" is used for someone who has a great skill in a certain field... there are "matemáticos virtuosos" who can't prepare themselves a sandwich; "deportistas virtuosos" who can't make two full correct sentences; "ajedrecistas virtuosos" who do horribly in politics...

I love that smiley. I need it often.

[poli]

In English a virtuoso primarily refers to a musical genious, a solo player who has mastered a special technique.

Sometimes the term virtuoso, works as it does in Spanish a remarkable
solo in any field not just music-- a one man show.
A shop owner who buys the wholesale product, sells the retail product, cleans up, pays the bills, keeps the books can be seen as a virtuoso.

[María José]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

"Virtuoso" is used for someone who has a great skill in a certain field... there are "matemáticos virtuosos" who can't prepare themselves a sandwich; "deportistas virtuosos" who can't make two full correct sentences; "ajedrecistas virtuosos" who do horribly in politics...

I love that smiley. I need it often.

Don't we all?