Etymologically
Log in

nescius

Etymology and origin of the Latin word nescius

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (nesciō)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin nescius
English nice

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnɛs.ki.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛʃ.ʃi.us][1]

Forms

nescius (feminine nescia, neuter nescium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from nesciō “not to know”, or from ne- “not” and scius “knowing”, as inscius and conscius are formed.[2][1][3] De Vaan thinks sciō “to know” is itself a back-formation from nescīre, from a root meaning “to cut, distinguish”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Plautus has “if there is anything I did not know, I will pass it on to you as unknown”, with nescius in the passive sense.[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant not knowing, unaware, as Cicero's “in case you don't know, Dolabella has made me his legate”, and with a genitive ignorant of, as Virgil's “the mind of man, ignorant of fate”.[2][5] With an infinitive it meant unable, as Horace's miser not knowing how to use his savings.[2]

In the passive sense it meant unknown, as in Plautus.[2] Through Old French nice it gave English nice, which in the late 13th century meant “foolish, ignorant”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in the sense “unknown”.[2][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in the sense “unaware”.[2][7]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it with a genitive.[5][7]
  • late 13th century – English nice is recorded, meaning “foolish”.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Not knowing, unaware, ignorant.[2][1]
  2. (with genitive) Ignorant of, inexperienced in.[2]
  3. (with infinitive) Not knowing how, unable.[2]
  4. (passive) Unknown.[2][1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Nescius.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/nescius. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·