ignorant

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɪɡ.nə.ɹənt/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English ignoraunt, borrowed from Old French ignorant, from Latin ignōrāns, ignōrantem, not knowing,^[2][3][4] the present participle of ignōrāre, not to know, to take no notice of (see ignore),^[2][5] from in-, not, and Old Latin gnārus, aware, acquainted with (related to nōscere, to know).^[2] Its form was influenced by Latin ignōtus, unknown.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lacking knowledge, unaware: about 1374 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

The noun, an ignorant person, is from the mid-15th century.^[2] Having no knowledge of something, ignorant of, is from 1483,^[6] and showing or resulting from lack of knowledge from 1509.^[6] The native Middle English word was uncunning.^[2] The colloquial sense, ill-mannered or rude, is attested by 1886;^[2] in Irish English it also meant presumptuous or forward.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 1374 – lacking knowledge.^[6]
• mid-15th century – an ignorant person (noun).^[2]
• 1483 – ignorant of.^[6]
• 1509 – showing ignorance.^[6]
• 1886 – ill-mannered.^[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Lacking education or knowledge.
2. Unaware or uninformed: ignorant of the law.
3. Showing or resulting from a lack of knowledge.
4. (informal) Rude or ill-mannered.

Word family

• ignorantly
• ignorantness
• nonignorant
• superignorant
• unignorant

Related words

• ignoramus
• ignorance
• ignore
• know
• notice

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)