Literary notes about proficient (AI summary)
In literature, the term “proficient” is employed to denote a level of skill or mastery across a wide range of pursuits—from linguistic and academic talents to practical and artistic skills. It is often used to celebrate a character’s expertise, as seen in instances where individuals are noted for their fluency in several languages or their accomplishments in arts and sciences [1, 2, 3]. At the same time, its usage can carry a hint of irony or understatement when applied to abilities that are still developing or are humorously portrayed as almost skillful despite their rudimentary practice [4, 5]. This versatility allows authors to both commend and subtly critique the degree of competence in their characters, making “proficient” a nuanced descriptor in various narrative contexts [6, 7, 8].
- “Although a Greek, he speaks Italian like a native, in which language I know that you, also, are a proficient.”
— from The Pirate of the Mediterranean: A Tale of the Sea by William Henry Giles Kingston - He was proficient in every branch of art and learning and was such a brilliant athlete that he contended in the Isthmian and Pythian games.
— from Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Elizabeth Barrett Browning was proficient in Greek and Latin at twelve; De Quincey at eleven.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden - To conclude, I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour, that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient.
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - David would look after Anne, who was not yet proficient enough in dancing to venture to try it in public.
— from Grace Harlowe's Sophomore Year at High School The Record of the Girl Chums in Work and Athletics by Josephine Chase - "Pon honah!" "The speed with which you have become proficient as a fisherman is something marvellous, Mr. Dide.
— from Mr. Dide, His Vacation in Colorado by Lewis B. France - This requires long practice for the operator to become proficient.
— from The Book of Cheese by Charles Thom
