English
notorious
Notorious comes from Medieval Latin nōtōrius ‘evident, known’, from Latin nōscō ‘to know’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnōskō‘to know, get to know’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgnōscō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōscō‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōtus‘known, recognized’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500nōtōrius‘evident, known’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500notoryous
- Englishearliest quotation 1531notorious
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*gnōskō‘to know, get to know’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgnōscō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōscō‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōtus‘known, recognized’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500nōtōrius‘evident, known’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500notoryous
- Englishearliest quotation 1531notorious
Earliest quotation: 1531, Thomas Elyot, Of Promise and Couenant: “But what hope is there to haue fidelitie well…”
The story
Nōtus is the perfect passive participle of nōscō (‘to become acquainted with or learn about (something); (rare) to be familiar with, recognize’), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (‘to know; to recognize’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, know, could, normal, narrative, recognition, con, ken, glory, keen, ignore, ignorant, norm, cunning, prognosis, narration, canny, connoisseur, canna, kith, uncouth, recognizance, gnosis, cun, 84 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱéti ‘to recognise’
diagnostic, gnome, agnostic, 40 more
through Latin gnōscō
recognize, cognitive, quaint, denote, incognito, annotation, noblesse, ignoble, precognition, 30 more
through Latin nōscō ‘to know’
note, noble, nobility, cognition, notation, notary, acquaint, cognizance, annotate, 25 more
through Latin nōtus ‘known, recognized’
Today it means
adj Of a person or entity: generally or widely known for something negative; infamous.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / notorious