English
connoisseur
Connoisseur comes from French connaiss(ant), and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise’next step skipped: Latin cognōscō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcognōscens
- Frenchc. 1600–presentconnaiss(ant)
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentconnoisseur
- Englishearliest quotation 1811same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise’next step skipped: Latin cognōscō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcognōscens
- Frenchc. 1600–presentconnaiss(ant)
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentconnoisseur
- Englishearliest quotation 1811same form
Earliest quotation: 1811, Jane Austen, London: […] C[harles] Roworth: “It is evident, in spite of his frequent attention…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, know, could, note, normal, notice, narrative, recognize, glory, ignore, recognition, ken, keen, noble, cognitive, ignorant, con, notion, norm, diagnostic, notorious, nobility, cunning, quaint, notation, narration, cognition, prognosis, notoriety, gnome, notary, incognito, agnostic, canny, uncouth, kith, canna, recognizance, cognizance, cun, 91 more
Today it means
noun A specialist in a given field whose opinion is highly valued, especially in one of the fine arts or in matters of taste.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / connoisseur