sciens

Forms

sciēns (genitive scientis, comparative scientior, superlative scientissimus); third-declension one-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is the present participle of sciō (“to know”), used as an adjective.^[1][2][3] De Vaan derives ⟨sciō⟩ from Proto-Italic *skije/o- (“to know”), perhaps a back-formation from nesciō (“not to know”), and traces it to Proto-Indo-European *skh₁-i(e/o)- (“to incise”), “to know” having developed from “to distinguish, decide”; he compares Ancient Greek σχάω (skháō, “to slit open”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest example is from Plautus, where a character asks why he should threaten the other for not having informed him (literally, not having made him sciēns, aware).^[1]

Semantic evolution

It means aware of a fact.^[1] Usually in the nominative, with the force of an adverb, it is “knowingly, deliberately”, as in an early law on a sacred grove: “if anyone knowingly violates it with malicious intent”.^[1] It also means knowledgeable, expert: Varro says vines should be stripped of leaves, but by someone who knows how.^[1]

Church Latin has it for knowing, expert, wise, skilful.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus in the sense “aware”.^[1][3]
• 116–27 BC – Varro in the sense “expert”.^[1][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. aware of a fact, cognizant.^[1]
2. Knowing what one is doing;^[1] (adverbial) knowingly, deliberately.^[1]
3. Knowledgeable, expert, skilful.^[1][5]

Related words

• sciō
• scientia
• īnsciēns

Usage notes

The adverb is scienter, knowingly, expertly.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
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 c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson