pundit
UK[ˈpʌndɪt]US[ˈpʌndɪt]
n
a person who knows a lot about a particular subject and who often talks about it in public, for example on television or in a newspaper
n
a learned person or teacher; an expert or authority
Etymology
the word 'pundit' entered the english language in the 17th century from the hindi word 'paṇḍit', which itself derives from the sanskrit 'paṇḍita', meaning 'a learned man, scholar, or teacher'. this term was originally used by the british in india to refer to a hindu scholar versed in sanskrit law, religion, and philosophy. over time, as the word became anglicized, its meaning broadened in english to denote any expert or authority who expresses opinions publicly, particularly in media and politics, while retaining the core sense of a learned person.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from hindi, which itself borrowed it from sanskrit. it is not productively formed from smaller english morphemes and therefore is not segmentable in modern english.
Examples
the political pundits on tv spent the evening analyzing the election results.
she is widely regarded as a pundit on environmental policy.
the newspaper hired a financial pundit to write a weekly column on the stock market.