BEING A SECOND INSTALLMENT ON EXPERTISE, THIS ONE WITH A SCANDALOUS TWIST FROM DEEP WITHIN THE SUBCONTINENT
n. — (also pandit) a wise or learned person, esp. one with extensive knowledge of Sanskrit and philosophy
— an expert in a particular field, esp. one called on to give opinions in public
fm. Sanskrit, pandita, meaning learned man
first published. 1661
The term entered English via Britain’s imperial presence in India. In the 1860s, British Army officers trained locals as surveyors to act, essentially, as spies, mapping remote areas where Brits were unwelcome, helping the English to consolidate influence and authority. These locals, who often traveled disguised as holy men, were known in the British Army as pundits.