nescius Latin · revision 3920
15 Oct 2026, 20:35 by bogdan “New Latin entry (sources: de Vaan, OLD, Lewis & Short, TLL...)” current version
Initial text
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la nesciō}}
+
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈnɛs.ki.ʊs]^(Wiktionary)
+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈnɛʃ.ʃi.us]^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Forms==
+ '''nescius''' (feminine nescia, neuter nescium); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is formed from [[nescio|alt=nesciō]] “not to know”, or from [[ne-]] “not” and [[scius]] “knowing”, as [[inscius]] and [[conscius]] are formed.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(TLL) De Vaan thinks [[scio|alt=sciō]] “to know” is itself a back-formation from [[m|la|nescīre]], from a root meaning “to cut, distinguish”.^(de Vaan 2008)
+
+ ==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.^(OLD 2012)
+
+ ==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”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) With an infinitive it meant unable, as Horace's miser not knowing how to use his savings.^(OLD 2012)
+
+ In the passive sense it meant unknown, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012) Through Old French [[m|fro|nice]] it gave English ''nice'', which in the late 13th century meant “foolish, ignorant”.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Timeline==
+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in the sense “unknown”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it in the sense “unaware”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it with a genitive.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)
+ * late 13th century – English ''nice'' is recorded, meaning “foolish”.^(Etymonline)
+
+ ==Meanings==
+ ===Adjective===
+ # Not knowing, unaware, [[m|en|ignorant]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(with genitive)'' Ignorant of, inexperienced in.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(with infinitive)'' Not knowing how, unable.^(OLD 2012)
+ # ''(passive)'' Unknown.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)
+
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[nescio]]
+ * [[en|nice]]
+
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}