connoisseur
UK[ˌkɒn.əˈsɜːr]US[ˌkɑː.nəˈsɝː]
n
a person who knows a lot about and enjoys good food, wine, art, etc., and can judge quality and skill in that subject
Etymology
the word 'connoisseur' entered english in the early 18th century directly from french, where it was the agent noun form of the old french verb 'conoistre', meaning 'to know'. this old french term evolved from the latin verb 'cognoscere', which combines 'co-' (thoroughly) and 'gnoscere' (to know), ultimately tracing back to the proto-indo-european root gno-, meaning 'to know'. the semantic journey is direct: from the general act of knowing to the specific expertise of one who knows and can expertly judge fine arts, cuisine, or other refined matters. it retains its french spelling and pronunciation, marking its status as a cultured loanword in english.
Analysis
the word is a loanword from french and is not productively segmented using english spelling elements. its french form derives from the old french verb 'conoistre', meaning 'to know', which itself comes from latin 'cognoscere'.
Examples
she is a connoisseur of fine italian wines.
the auction house consulted a connoisseur to authenticate the painting.
his collection of vintage watches impressed even the most seasoned connoisseurs.