English
connote
Connote comes from Medieval Latin connotō ‘signify beyond literal meaning’, from notō ‘mark’, and ultimately from Latin nota.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnota‘mark, sign’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500notō‘mark’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500connotō‘signify beyond literal meaning’
- Englishearliest quotation 2025connote
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnota‘mark, sign’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500notō‘mark’
- Medieval Latin, derivedc. 600–1500connotō‘signify beyond literal meaning’
- Englishearliest quotation 2025connote
Earliest quotation: 2025, Shreyas Teegala, Simar Bajaj: “Doctors should be reminded that absence of evidence does…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, know, could, normal, narrative, glory, ignore, ken, recognition, keen, ignorant, con, norm, cunning, prognosis, narration, canny, kith, uncouth, canna, recognizance, gnosis, cun, 84 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱéti ‘to recognise’
diagnostic, gnome, agnostic, 39 more
through Latin gnōscō
recognize, cognitive, quaint, incognito, noblesse, ignoble, precognition, 29 more
through Latin nōscō ‘to become acquainted with something, learn…’
notice, noble, notion, notorious, nobility, cognition, notoriety, acquaint, cognizance, 22 more
through Latin nota ‘mark, sign’
through Medieval Latin notō ‘mark’
Today it means
verb To signify beyond its literal or principal meaning.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin nota / connote