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noto

Etymology and origin of the Latin word noto

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Varro
Ultimate origin
Latin (nōscō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈnɔ.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɔː.to][1]

Forms

notō (present infinitive notāre, perfect active notāvī, supine notātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from nota “mark, sign” with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Varro, of marking and stamping.[2] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to mark, put a sign on, as Cicero's tabellam cērā notāre, to brand, stamp, and in rhetoric to explain a word by its derivation.[2][5] It meant to mark a passage as important or faulty, and of the censors to put a mark of disgrace against a citizen's name, so to censure, stigmatize.[2] From Cicero it meant to stain or scar, to mark off, define, pick out, designate, and to indicate by a sign.[2] It meant to represent a word by an abbreviation, as in Quintilian, to denote by a name, to write, note down, mention, and to take note of, observe.[2] Döderlein explains that animadvertere is to observe mentally, notāre to make distinguishable by a mark.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to mark, denote, designate, signify.[7] Through Old French noter it gave English note about 1200, “to observe, mark carefully”.[8] It survives in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese notare, notar.[1]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of marking.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the censor's mark and of noting.[2][4]
  • c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of abbreviation.[2][4]
  • c. 1200 – English note is recorded.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To mark; to brand; to stamp.[2]
  2. To mark a passage.[2]
  3. Of the censors, to mark with disgrace; to censure.[2]
  4. To stain, scar.[2]
  5. To mark off, define; to pick out; to designate.[2]
  6. To indicate; to denote; to abbreviate.[2]
  7. To write down, note.[2]
  8. To observe, notice.[2]

Word family

  • adnotō
  • circumnotō
  • dēnotō
  • ēnotō
  • innoto
  • notābilis
  • notaculum
  • notātiō
  • nōtēscō
  • praenotō
  • subnotō
  • annotō

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 k l m n o p q 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. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Noto.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/noto. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·