Etymology Origin of word engineer

engineer
Pronunciation: /ndn/
Definition of engineer

noun

1a person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures.

a person qualified in a branch of engineering, especially as a professional:an aeronautical engineer

2a person who controls an engine, especially on an aircraft or ship.

North American a train driver.

3a skilful contriver or originator of something:the prime engineer of the approach

verb
[with object]

1design and build (a machine or structure):the men who engineered the tunnel

modify (an organism) by manipulating its genetic material:(as adjective, with

submodifier engineered)genetically engineered plants

Origin:

2skilfully arrange for (something) to occur:she engineered another meeting with him

Middle English (denoting a designer and constructor of fortifications and weapons; formerly also as ingineer): in early use from Old French engigneor, from medieval Latin ingeniator, from ingeniare 'contrive, devise', from Latin ingenium (see ENGINE); in later use from French ingnieur or Italian ingegnere, also based on Latin ingenium, with the ending influenced by -EER

The word engineer has its roots in the Latin word ingeniare, which means to devise in the sense of construct, or craftsmanship. Several other words are related to ingeniare, including ingenuity.
http://www.seas.ucla.edu/hsseas/history/origin.html

Etymology It is a myth that engineer originated to describe those who built engines. In fact, the words engine and engineer (as well as ingenious) developed in parallel from the Latin root ingeniosus, meaning "skilled". An engineer is thus a clever, practical, problem solver. The spelling of engineer was later influenced by backformation from engine. The term later evolved to include all fields where the skills of application of the scientific method are used. In some other languages, such as Arabic, the word for "engineering" also means "geometry". The fields that became what we now call engineering were known as the mechanic arts in the 19th century.
http://www.dynenco.net/etymology_eng.htm

Compiled by C M Rawat