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recognosco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word recognosco

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛ.kɔŋˈnoːs.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [re.koɲˈɲɔs.ko][1]

Forms

recognōscō (present infinitive recognōscere, perfect active recognōvī, supine recognitum); third conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from re- “again” and cognōscō “to get to know”.[2][1][3] A military diploma spells it ⟨recoc-⟩.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Cicero, of examining and of recognizing.[2] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to know again, recognize, recall to mind, and Lewis and Short note it is especially frequent in Cicero, as his view that the soul does not learn but recalls things.[5][6] It meant to examine, review, inspect, and to check a document for accuracy.[2] In Seneca it meant to acknowledge.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to review, inspect, recognize, approve, certify, authorize.[7] It survives in Italian riconoscere and French reconnaître.[1] English recognize came in the early 15th century through Old French reconoistre, first in law, and older French reconnoitre gave English reconnoiter in 1707.[8]

Timeline

  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of recognizing and of examining.[2][4]
  • 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of acknowledging.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English recognize is recorded.[8]
  • 1707 – English reconnoiter is recorded, from French.[8]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To examine, review, inspect; to check a document.[2]
  2. To acknowledge.[2]
  3. To recognize, recall to mind.[2][5]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To certify, authorize.[7]

Word family

  • recognitiō

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 Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Recognosco.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/recognosco. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·