Technikos

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a specialized knowledge or skill set that applies techniques in a practical and effective manner
2. Pertaining to the application of scientific and engineering principles in technology-related fields
3. Relating to forms and methods of production that are skillfully executed within professional practices

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "technikos" meant "relating to art or craft," and it grew from "techne," a word for skill in making things, whether a carpenter's joinery or a doctor's treatment. Behind "techne" lies a much older root, reconstructed as "teks-," meaning "to weave" or "to fashion." The same root gave Latin "texere," to weave, and so English "text" and "textile." Craft and cloth were, in a sense, the same idea. The Greek adjective passed into Latin as "technicus," and from there English took the notion of skilled, practical work. English has used "technic" and "technical" for the specialized know-how that the Greek sense described. The word's core idea stayed close to making and doing rather than to abstract theory.