ignarus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪŋˈnaː.rʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [iɲˈɲaː.rus]^[1]

Forms

ignārus (feminine ignāra, neuter ignārum, comparative ignārior, superlative ignārissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from in- “not” and gnārus “knowing”.^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of someone unacquainted with something.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant having no knowledge, unaware, as in Terence, and in Plautus having no experience, unacquainted.^[2] In Sallust it was used passively, unknown, unfamiliar.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant ignorant, inexperienced.^[4] British Medieval Latin used it of the unknowing and, with a genitive, of having no knowledge of something.^[5] It survives in Italian and Spanish ignaro and French ignare.^[1] Its derived verb ignōrō “not to know” gave English ignorant through its participle.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of the inexperienced.^[2][3]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of the ignorant.^[2][3]
• 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it in the sense “unknown”.^[2][3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Ignorant, unaware.^[2]
2. Inexperienced, unacquainted.^[2]
3. Unknown, unfamiliar.^[2]

Word family

• ignōrō
• perignārus

Related words

• gnārus
• English ignorant

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
5. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com