agnosco

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [aŋˈnoːs.koː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aɲˈɲɔs.ko]^[1]

Forms

agnōscō (present infinitive agnōscere, perfect active agnōvī, supine agnitum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from ad- (“to”) and nōscō “to get to know”, in its old form ⟨gnōscō⟩.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of recognizing.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to recognize, know again, identify, as in Plautus, to recognize someone's hand in a work, as Cicero's knowing God from his works, and to recognize as having some status, as in Cato.^[2][5] It meant to acknowledge as one's own, a child, as in Nepos, or a deed, and in law to admit liability or accept an inheritance, as in Ulpian and Gaius.^[2] It meant to recognize the value or truth of something, to accept an accusation, to acknowledge with gratitude, and to become aware of, realize, as in Cicero.^[2] Pacuvius has the old participle agnōta.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to recognize, know, understand, perceive.^[6] English agnostic, coined by Huxley in 1869, comes instead from Greek ágnōstos “unknown”.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of recognizing.^[2][4]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of recognizing a status.^[2][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of knowing God from his works.^[5][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To recognize, identify.^[2]
2. To acknowledge as one's own.^[2]
3. (law) To admit liability; to accept (an inheritance).^[2]
4. To admit the truth of.^[2]
5. To acknowledge (with gratitude).^[2]
6. To realize, perceive.^[2]

Word family

• agnitiō
• agnitor
• agnitus
• agnoscibilis

Related words

• nōscō
• cognōscō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com