Etymologically
Log in

γνώριμος

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 20:20. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • 5th-century BC Attic: /ɡnɔ̌ː.ri.mos/[1]
  • 4th-century AD Koine: /ˈɣno.ri.mos/[1]
  • 10th-century Byzantine: /ˈɣno.ri.mos/[1]

Forms

γνώρῐμος (gnṓrimos) m or f (neuter γνώρῐμον); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to know”), formed on its stem with a suffix -ρ-, like γνωρίζω (gnōrízō, “to make known”), and the adjective suffix -ιμος (-imos).[2][3][1] The root is Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to recognize”), as in Latin nōscō and Sanskrit ज्ञात (jñātá-, “known”).[4][2] Wiktionary notes that if Latin glōria comes from a form *ǵnoh₃ri-, γνώριμος and the Latin word may share that root.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Odyssey it is used as a noun, an acquaintance, beside “companion”.[5][6][7]

Semantic evolution

Attic prose made it an adjective: things that are well known or familiar, arguments that are intelligible, and persons who are known to someone, or notable in their city.[6] In Xenophon, Aristotle and Plutarch the masculine plural is the notables, the prominent citizens, and it is also a pupil, as of Isocrates.[6][5] Demosthenes ranks a γνώριμος below a friend.[5] In the Septuagint and the New Testament it means acquainted with someone.[8]

The Modern Greek γνώριμος (gnórimos) continues the ancient word, meaning “familiar, known” and, as a noun, “an acquaintance”.[9][10]

Timeline

  • Homer – The Odyssey uses it for an acquaintance.[6][7]
  • 5th–4th century BC – Plato and Xenophon use it for familiar things and well-known persons.[6]
  • 4th century BC – Aristotle uses the plural for the notables of a city.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of things, well known, familiar.[5][6]
  2. Of arguments or facts, intelligible.[6]
  3. Of a person, known to someone; as a noun, an acquaintance or friend.[6][8]
  4. Of a person, notable, prominent; plural, the notables.[6]
  5. As a noun, a pupil or disciple.[5]

Word family

  • γνωρίζω (gnōrízō)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
  4. ^ Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter
  5. ^ a b c d e Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  7. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
  8. ^ a b Bauer, Walter; Danker, Frederick W., et al. (2000), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press
  9. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  10. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr