novice

The word 'novice' entered English in the 14th century via Old French from the Latin novicius, meaning "newly arrived" or "beginner," itself derived from novus (new). This Latin root traces back to the Proto-Indo-European néwos, a prolific source for words relating to newness across many languages. The literal sense of "one who is new" was originally applied specifically to a person newly entered into a religious order before taking vows. Over time, the logic of newness extended metaphorically to any field, solidifying its modern abstract meaning of a person inexperienced in any skill or situation.

Structure: nov (new) + ice (noun suffix) nov (from Latin novus, meaning "new", serves as the core semantic root); ice (from Latin -itius, a suffix forming adjectives and nouns, here forming a noun indicating a person characterized by the root quality)