1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Prodigy

PRODIGY, an extraordinary or wonderful thing, person, event, &c.; something which excites amazement and astonishment. The term has been particularly applied to children who display a precocious genius, especially in music. The German expression Wunderkind has of late been often adopted by those who have found the name “infant prodigy” too reminiscent of the “infant phenomenon” familiar to readers of Dickens. The Lat. prodigium, an omen, portent, and abnormal or monstrous event, is probably not to be derived from pro and dicere, to foretell, prophesy, but rather, on the analogy of adagium, adage, aphorism, from pro (prot before a vowel), and the root of aio, I say.