Nous

What is the origin of the word Nous?


We are trying to find the correct spelling and origin of the word relating to mental faculties or good judgement. It is pronounced as nouse (rhyming with mouse).


The word you are looking for is nous. It appears in our dictionaries of current English, such as the New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) where it is labelled British informal and defined common sense and practical intelligence. In philosophy, it means the mind or intellect.


It represents a straightforward taking into English of Greek nous or noos mind or intellect. The philosophical sense dates back to the 17th century and the slang sense to the 18th according to the complete Oxford English Dictionary.





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