English
gnomic
Gnomic comes from Ancient Greek γνώμη ‘thought, judgement’, from γῐγνώσκω ‘to know’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise, to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gignṓskōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγῐγνώσκω‘to know’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγνώμηgnṓmē‘thought, judgement’root of γῐγνώσκω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγνωμικόςgnōmikós
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgnomique
- Englishearliest quotation 1845gnomic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise, to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gignṓskōreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγῐγνώσκω‘to know’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγνώμηgnṓmē‘thought, judgement’root of γῐγνώσκω
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγνωμικόςgnōmikós
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgnomique
- Englishearliest quotation 1845gnomic
Earliest quotation: 1845, G.H. Lewes, A Biographical History of Philosophy: “His birth-place was Colophon, an Ionian city of Asia-Minor;…”
Equivalent to gnome + -ic
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise, to know’
can, could, know, normal, narrative, glory, recognition, con, ken, keen, ignore, ignorant, norm, cunning, narration, denote, prognosis, canny, connoisseur, annotation, uncouth, acquaint, canna, kith, recognizance, noblesse, cun, gnosis, ignoble, 83 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱéti ‘to recognise’
note, notice, recognize, noble, notion, cognitive, notorious, notation, nobility, quaint, cognition, notoriety, incognito, notary, annotate, cognizance, 44 more
through Ancient Greek γῐγνώσκω ‘to know’
through Ancient Greek γνώμη ‘thought, judgement’
Today it means
adj Of, or relating to gnomes (sententious sayings).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / gnomic