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Indo-European Lexicon

PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes

Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.

Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings may appreciate the source & meaning tips that pop up when the mouse pointer hovers over a non-obvious word or name that he coined from Indo-European (usually Old English or Old Norse) stock. But only reflexes of PIE etyma can be included, and these tend to concentrate in the vocabulary of Rohan and the Shire.

All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.

Note: this page is for systems/browsers with Unicode^® support, but fonts for only the Unicode 2.0 character set (including combining diacritics). Versions of this page rendered in alternate character sets are available via links (see Unicode 3 and ISO-8859-1) in the left margin.

Pokorny Etymon: 2. g̑en-, g̑enə-, g̑nē-, g̑nō- 'to ken, know, recognize'

Semantic Field: to Know

Indo-European Reflexes:

Family/Language	Reflex(es)	PoS/Gram.	Gloss	Source(s)
Celtic
Old Irish:	ad-gninim	vb	to know, recognize	LRC
	gnāth	vb.ptc	known	GED
English
Old English:	can	vb.1/3.sg	know(s)	W7
	cēne/cȳne	adj	keen, bold, brave	OED/ASD
	cennan	vb	to ken, make known	W7
	cnāwan, cnēow, cnēowon, cnāwen	vb.str	to know, recognize, understand	GED/RPN
	cunnan	vb	to know, be able (to)	GED
	cūþ	adj	known, familiar	GED
	cȳðan	vb.wk	to make known	GED
	oncnāwan, oncnēow, oncnēowon, oncnāwen	vb.str	to know, recognize, acknowledge	AHD/ASD
	uncūþ	adj	strange, uncouth, uncertain	GED/ASD
Middle English:	aknouen	vb	to know, recognize	AHD
	aquainten	vb	to acquaint	W7
	can	vb.1/3.sg	can, know(s)	W7
	cognicioun	n	cognition	W7
	cointe	adj	quaint	W7
	conisaunce	n	cognizance	W7
	connen	vb	to know, learn, study	W7
	cunnen	vb	to know	W7
	cunning	adj	cunning	W7
	kene	adj	keen, brave	W7
	kennen	vb	to ken	W7
	knowen	vb	to know	W7
	knowlechen	vb	to acknowledge	W7
	knowlege	n	knowledge	W7
	noble	adj	noble	W7
	noten	vb	to note	W7
	notice	n	notice	W7
	phisonomie	n	physiognomy	W7
	prothonotarie	n	prothonotary	W7
	uncouth	adj	uncouth	W7
English:	abnormal	adj	deviating from norm/average	AHD/W7
	acknowledge	vb.trans	to own/admit knowledge of	AHD/W7
	acquaint	vb.trans	to cause to know personally	AHD/W7
	agnosia	n	inability to recognize	AHD
	annotate	vb	to make/furnish critical/explanatory notes/comment	AHD/W7
	can	vb.mod	to know, understand, be able	AHD/W7
	cognition	n	knowing, including awareness/judgment	AHD/W7
	cognizance	n	distinguishing mark/emblem	AHD/W7
	con	vb.trans	to peruse, study/examine closely	AHD/W7
	connoisseur	n	expert	AHD/W7
	connote	vb.trans	to suggest	AHD/W7
	couth	adj	refined, polished, sophisticated	AHD/W7
	couth	n	refinement, sophistication	AHD
	cunning	adj	exhibiting skill	AHD/W7
	diagnosis	n	act/art of identifying disease from signs/symptoms	AHD/W7
	enormous	adj	abnormal, inordinate	AHD/W7
	Gnome	prop.n	Deep (wise) Elf in early editions of Tolkien: The Hobbit	LRC
	gnome	n	maxim, aphorism	AHD/W7
	gnomon	n	object serving as indicator by position/length of shadow	AHD/W7
	gnosis	n	knowledge of spiritual truth attainable through faith	AHD/W7
	Gnostic	prop.n	adherent of Gnosticism (belief that salvation comes through knowledge)	LRC
	ignorant	adj	not knowing, lacking knowledge/education	AHD
	ignore	vb.trans	to refuse to notice	AHD/W7
	incognito	adv	with concealed identity	AHD/W7
	keen	adj	wise, clever; sharp, cutting	OED/W7
	ken	vb	to see, know, perceive	AHD/W7
	kenning	n	metaphorical phrase used in poetry	AHD/W7
	know, knew, known	vb.str	to perceive directly	AHD/W7
	knowledge	n	cognizance	AHD/W7
	narrate	vb.trans	to relate, recite details	AHD/W7
	noble	adj	illustrious, possessing outstanding qualities	AHD/W7
	norm	n	model, authoritative standard	AHD/W7
	normal	adj	perpendicular	AHD/W7
	note	n	song, melody	AHD/W7
	note	vb.trans	to notice/observe with care	AHD/W7
	notice	n	announcement, warning/intimation of something	AHD/W7
	notion	n	inclusive general concept	AHD/W7
	notorious	adj	generally known/talked of	AHD/W7
	pathognomonic	adj	distinctively characteristic of particular disease	AHD/W7
	physiognomy	n	art of discovering character/temperament from outward appearance	AHD/W7
	prognosis	n	prospect of recovery anticipated from usual disease course/peculiarities of case	AHD/W7
	prothonotary	n	chief clerk of court of law	AHD/W7
	quaint	adj	skilled, expert	AHD/W7
	recognize	vb.trans	to perceive as something previously known	AHD/W7
	reconnaissance	n	preliminary survey	AHD/W7
	reconnoiter	vb	to make preliminary survey	AHD/W7
	uncouth	adj	rare, uncommon, unknown/unfamiliar	AHD/W7
British English:	recognise	vb.trans	to recognize	LRC
W-Germanic
Old Frisian:	kētha	vb.wk	to make known	GED
	kunna	vb	to ken, be able (to)	GED
	kuth/ku(n)d	adj	known	ASD
Dutch:	kan	vb.1/3.sg	can	TLL
	kennen	vb	to ken	ASD
	koen	adj	keen, bold	ASD
	kon	vb.pret.1/3.sg	knew, was able	TLL
	kond	adj	known	ASD
	kunnen	vb	to be able	TLL
Old Saxon:	cūðean	vb.wk	to make known	GED
	kūð	adj	known	GED
	kunnan	vb	to know, be able (to)	GED
Old Low German:	kundan	vb.wk	to make known	GED
Old High German:	bichnāan	vb	to recognize	W7
	chnāan	vb	to ken, know	GED
	chund	adj	known	GED
	cnuodelen	vb	to indicate recognition	GED
	kan	vb.1/3.sg	can, am/is able; ken(s), know(s)	W7
	knājan	vb	to ken, know	ASD
	kōn(i)/kuon(i)	adj	keen, bold	ASD
	kund	vb.ptc	known	W7
	kunden/kund(j)an	vb.wk	to make known	GED/ASD
	kunnan	vb	to know, be able (to)	GED
	kunnēn	vb	to know how, be able	RPN
	un-kund	adj	strange, unknown	ASD
Middle High German:	kennen	vb	to ken	ASD
	küene/kuon	adj	keen, bold	ASD
	künden	vb	to make known	ASD
	kunnen	vb	to know, be able (to)	ASD
	kunt	adj	known	ASD
German:	kann	vb.1/3.sg	can, am/is able; know(s)	TLL
	kennen	vb	to ken	ASD
	können	vb	to know how, be able (to)	ASD
	kühn	adj	keen, bold	ASD
	kund	adj	known	ASD
	künden	vb	to make known	ASD
N-Germanic
Old Norse:	kenna	vb	to ken, recognize	W7
	kenning	n	metaphorical word/phrase (Norse poetry)	W7
	knā	vb	to know how, be able	CGo
	knār	adj	brave, capable	CGo
	kunna	vb	to know, be able (to)	ASD
Old Icelandic:	kunna	vb	to know, understand	GED/RPN
	kunnr/kūþr	adj	known	GED
	ū-kūðr	adj	unknown	GED
Icelandic:	kenna	vb	to ken, teach	ASD
	knā	vb	to know	ASD
	kunnr/kuðr	adj	known	ASD
	kynna	vb	to make known	ASD
	ū-kunnr	adj	unknown	ASD
Danish:	kan	vb.1/3.sg	can, am/is able	TLL
	kunne	vb	to be able	TLL
	kynde	vb	to make known	ASD
Swedish:	kan	vb.1/3.sg	can, am/is able	TLL
	kunna	vb	to make known	ASD
E-Germanic
Gothic:	*fra-kunþs	adj	despised	GED
	ga-kunnan	vb	to subject (someone)	GED
	kannjan	vb	to make known	RPN
	kunnan	vb.ptpr.III	to know	GED
	kunþi	n.str.neut	knowledge	LRC
	kunþjan	vb	to make known	ASD
	kunþs	adj/n	known; acquaintance	LRC
	swi-kunþs	adj	manifest	GED
	uf-kunnan	vb	to recognize, experience	GED
	un-kunþs	adj	strange, unknown	GED
Crimean Gothic:	knauen	adj	good	CGo
Italic
Latin:	annoto, annotare, annotavi, annotatus	vb	to observe, remark, annotate	W7
	cognatio, cognationis	n.fem	kindred, blood-relations	LRC
	cognitio, cognitionis	n.fem	acquaintance with	W7
	cognomentum, cognomenti	n.neut	surname	LRC
	cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitus	vb	to know, become acquainted with	W7
	enormis	adj	huge	W7
	gnarus	adj	knowing	W7
	gnomon	n.neut	judgement, opinion, belief	W7
	(g)nosco, (g)noscere, (g)nōvi, (g)nōtum	vb	to know, recognize, become acquainted with	LRC
	ignarus	adj	ignorant, unknown	W7
	īgnōrō, īgnōrāre, īgnōrāvi, īgnōrātum	vb	to ignore, be unknown	LRC
	ignotus, ignota, ignotum	adj	unknown	LRC
	incognitus	adj	unknown	W7
	narro, narrare, narravi, narratus	vb	to narrate, tell a story	W7
	nobilis, nobilis, nobile	adj	famous, noble	LRC
	nobilitas, nobilitatis	n.fem	renown	LRC
	norma	n.fem	rule, carpenter's square	W7
	normalis	adj	according to the measure	W7
	nota	n.fem	mark, note	W7
	notarius	n.masc	notary, secretary	W7
	notio, notionis	n.fem	faculty of knowing, thing known	W7
	notitia, notitiae	n.fem	acquaintance, familiarity, carnal knowledge	LRC
	noto, notare	vb	to mark, note	W7
	recognosco, recognoscere	vb	to recognize	W7
Late Latin:	abnormis	adj	abnormal	AHD
	accognosco, accognoscere, accognovi, accognitus	vb	to know perfectly	W7
	gnosticus	adj	Gnostic	W7
	normalis	adj	normal	W7
	notorium	n.neut	information, indictment	W7
	notorius	adj	known	W7
	physiognomia, physiognomonia	n.fem	physiognomy	W7
	prognosis	n.fem	prognosis, evaluation	W7
	protonotarius	n.masc	chief clerk of court of law	W7
Medieval Latin:	accognito, accognitare	vb	to get acquainted	W7
	adcognito, adcognitare	vb	to acquaint	AHD
	anormalis	adj	abnormal	W7
	connoto, connotare	vb	to connote	W7
	notorius	adj	known, famous	W7
New Latin:	diagnosis	n.fem	diagnosis	W7
Old French:	acointier	vb	to acquaint	W7
	cointe	adj.fem	known, familiar, nice	W7
	connoisseor	n.masc	connoisseur	W7
	connoistre, conoistre	vb	to know	W7
	conoissance	n.fem	cognizance, knowledge	W7
	noble	adj	noble	W7
	noter	vb	to note	W7
Middle French:	notice	n.fem	acquaintance	W7
	phisonomie	n.fem	physiognomy	W7
	reconoissance	n.fem	recognition	W7
	reconoistre, reconoiss-	vb	to recognize	W7
French:	anormal	adj	abnormal	W7
	connaisseur	n.masc	connoisseur	W7
	ignorer	vb	to ignore, not know	W7
	reconnaissance	n.fem	gratitude, exploration	W7
	reconnaître	vb	to recognize	W7
Italian:	incognito	adj/n.masc	unknown (person)	W7
Baltic
Old Prussian:	ersinnat	vb	to recognize	GED
	posinnat	vb	to recognize	LRC
Lithuanian:	pa-žìnti	vb	to recognize	GED
	pa-žintìs	n	acquaintance	GED
	žinóti, žìno, žinójo	vb	to know	LRC
Latvian:	zinât	vb	to know	LRC
Slavic
Old Church Slavonic:	znamenьje	n.neut	sign	LRC
	znajǫ, znati	vb	to know	GED/RPN
Russian:	znatь	vb	to know	LRC
Albanian
Albanian:	njoh	vb	to know	GED/RPN
Hellenic
Homeric Greek:	ἀγνοέω	vb	to fail to recognize	LRC
	ἀγνώς	adj	unknown	LRC
	ʼάγνωστος	adj	unrecognized, unrecognizable	LRC
Greek:	agnōsia	n	ignorance	AHD
	gignōskein	vb	to come to know	W7
	γι(γ)νώσκω	vb	to know, learn	LRC
	gnōmē	n.fem	opinion, knowledge	W7
	gnōmonikos	adj	fit to judge	W7
	gnōmōn	n.masc	interpreter	W7
	γνω̃σις	n.fem	knowledge	LRC
	gnōstikos	adj	of knowledge	W7
	γνωτός	vb.past.pass.ptc	known, perceived	GED/RPN
	διαγιγνώσκω	vb	to discern, distinguish	LRC
	diagnōsis	n.fem	diagnosis	W7
	ʼέγνων	vb.aor	I understand	RPN
	pathognōmonikos	adj	distinctively characteristic of a particular disease	W7
	progignōskein	vb	to know before	W7
	prognōsis	n.fem	foreknowledge	W7
	physiognōmonia	n.fem	judgement of character by features	W7
	physiognōmōn	adj	judging character by features	W7
Armenian
Armenian:	an-can	adj	unknown	GED/RPN
	caneay	vb.aor	knew, recognized	GED/RPN
Iranian
Old Persian:	a-dānā	vb.pret.3.sg	he knew	LRC
Avestan:	ā-zaintiš	n	information	GED
	zan-	vb	to know	RPN
	zānāiti	vb	to know	GED
Dardic
Khowar:	noik	vb	to appear, become visible	RPN
Indic
Sanskrit:	jānā́ti	vb	to know, recognize, have knowledge	GED/RPN
	jñātáḥ	vb.ptc	known, perceived, acquainted	RPN
	jñā-tí-ḥ	n	knowledge	RPN
	jñātram	n	capability of recognizing	GED
	jñāyante	vb.3.pl	they know	GED
Tocharian
Tokharian:	knā-	vb	to know, recognize	GED
Tocharian B:	a-knātsa	adj	unknown	RPN
Tocharian A:	ā-knats	adj	unknown; ignorant	RPN
	kña-	vb	to be acquainted with	RPN
	knān-	vb	to know, recognize	RPN

Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:

Abbrev.		Meaning
1	=	1st person
3	=	3rd person
III	=	class 3
adj	=	adjective
adv	=	adverb(ial)
aor	=	aorist (tense)
fem	=	feminine (gender)
masc	=	masculine (gender)
mod	=	modal
n	=	noun
neut	=	neuter (gender)
pass	=	passive (voice)
past	=	past (tense)
pl	=	plural (number)
pret	=	preterite (tense)
prop	=	proper
ptc	=	participle
ptpr	=	preterite-present (verb)
sg	=	singular (number)
str	=	strong (inflection)
trans	=	transitive
vb	=	verb
wk	=	weak (inflection)

Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):

Code		Citation
AHD	=	Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000)
ASD	=	Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898)
CGo	=	MacDonald Stearns, Jr: Crimean Gothic (1978)
GED	=	Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986)
LRC	=	Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin
OED	=	James A.H. Murray et al: The Oxford English Dictionary (1933)
RPN	=	Allan R. Bomhard: Reconstructing Proto-Nostratic (2002)
TLL	=	Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944)
W7	=	Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963)

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