*ǵneh₃-

Reconstruction

LIV sets up *g̑neh₃- "to recognize",^[1] and NIL *g̑neh₃- with the same meaning.^[2] Beekes writes *ǵneh₃- "recognize, get to know",^[3] and de Vaan the aorist *ǵnéh₃-/ǵnh₃- "to know".^[4]

Morphology

LIV reconstructs a root aorist *g̑néh₃-/g̑n̥h₃-, a nasal-infix present *g̑n̥-né/n-h₃-, an sk̑é-present *g̑n̥h₃-sk̑é- and a perfect *g̑e-g̑nóh₃/g̑n̥h₃-, with a sigmatic aorist ?*g̑nḗh₃/g̑néh₃-s- marked as doubtful; the Slavic present of Old Church Slavonic знати (znati) it counts as an innovation.^[1] Beekes notes that Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō) probably has the zero grade *ǵnh₃-sk-, whereas Latin nōscō and the Albanian and Old Persian forms have the full grade.^[3]

The preterite-present Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan) is explained in LIV from the nasal present: the plural gave Proto-Germanic *kunn- by sound law, and a new singular Proto-Germanic *kann- was made to it.^[1] Kümmel reports Tanaka's somewhat different account: the middle present was first remade into an ablautless preterite-present *kunn-, under the influence of *mag- "can", and only then was *kunn- replaced by *kann- in the singular.^[5] Kroonen derives the verb from a secondary n-present *ǵnh₃-néh₂-ti, *ǵnh₃-nh₂-énti, as in Sanskrit and in Lithuanian žinóti, and explains the geminate from the singular.^[6]

Evidence

LIV's list covers Anatolian, Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Armenian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Baltic, Slavic, Albanian and Tocharian.^[1] The verb Hittite kane/išš- (“to recognize”) has been connected with the root since Laroche, though *-eh₃- would not be expected to give Hittite -e-.^[7] Kloekhorst reports that Jasanoff's solution, a Narten s-present *ǵnēh₃-s- shared with Tocharian A kñasäṣt, has won the most approval.^[7]

Competing analyses

For the nasal present LIV has an infix, *g̑n̥-né/n-h₃-,^[1] Kroonen a suffix, *ǵnh₃-néh₂-.^[6] Kroonen can account for Old English gecnāwan and Old High German knāen only with a lengthened-grade root *ǵnēh₃-.^[8]

Meanings

1. to recognize,^[1][2] to know^[4]

Beekes glosses the root "recognize, get to know".^[3] Latin nōvī (“I know”) continues the perfect in meaning, but the root aorist in form.^[1]

Derivatives

• *ǵnh₃-to- "known": Ancient Greek γνωτός (gnōtós), Latin nōtus, Old Irish gnáth, with a Sanskrit cognate.^[3]
• *ĝnoh₃-men-: Ancient Greek γνῶμα (gnôma).^[2]
• *ĝnoh₃-ti-: Gothic 𐌺𐌽𐍉𐌸𐍃 (knōþs).^[2]

Reflexes

• Anatolian: Hittite kane/išš- (“to recognize”).^[7]
• Indo-Aryan: Sanskrit ज्ञेयास् (jñeyā́s, “may you get to know”), from LIV's list.^[1]
• Iranian: Old Persian xšnāsātiy (“shall recognize”), from LIV's list.^[1]
• Armenian: Old Armenian ճանաչեմ (čanač‘em, “to know, recognize”).^[9]
• Greek: Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to recognize”).^[3]
• Italic: Latin nōscō (“to know”).^[4]
• Celtic: Old Irish ad-gnin (“recognizes”).^[10]
• Germanic: Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan, “to know, understand”).^[6]
• Baltic: Lithuanian žinóti (“to know”).^[11]
• Slavic: Old Church Slavonic знати (znati, “to know”).^[12]
• Albanian: Albanian njoh (“I know”), from LIV's list.^[1]
• Tocharian: Tocharian A knānat (“you recognize”), from LIV's list.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rix, Helmut, et al. (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Reichert, p. s.v. *g̑neh₃-
2. ^ a b c d Wodtko, Dagmar S.; Irslinger, Britta; Schneider, Carolin (2008), Nomina im indogermanischen Lexikon, Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. *g̑neh₃-
3. ^ a b c d e 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, p. s.v. γιγνώσκω
4. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill, p. s.v. nōscō
5. ^ Kümmel, Martin Joachim, Addenda und Corrigenda zu LIV², online document, last change 16 June 2026, p. 27
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 311
7. ^ a b c Kloekhorst, Alwin (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Hittite Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 434
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 295
9. ^ Martirosyan, Hrach K. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of the Armenian Inherited Lexicon, Leiden: Brill, p. 454
10. ^ Matasović, Ranko (2009), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic, Leiden: Brill, p. 168
11. ^ Smoczyński, Wojciech (2018), Lithuanian Etymological Dictionary, Berlin: Peter Lang, p. 2341
12. ^ Derksen, Rick (2008), Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 4, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 546