English
noble
Noble comes from Old French noble, from Latin nōbilis ‘knowable, known, well-known, famous,…’, 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 CEnōscōas nōscere‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōbilis‘knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400noble
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1499same form
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 CEnōscōas nōscere‘to know’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōbilis‘knowable, known, well-known, famous, celebrated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400noble
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1499same form
Earliest quotation: 1499, John Skelton: “I lyked no thynge his playe, / For yf…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, could, know, normal, recognition, narrative, glory, con, ignore, ken, keen, ignorant, norm, cunning, narration, prognosis, canny, connoisseur, uncouth, canna, kith, recognizance, gnosis, cun, 85 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h₃sḱéti ‘to recognise’
diagnostic, gnome, agnostic, 41 more
through Latin gnōscō
recognize, cognitive, quaint, incognito, denote, annotation, precognition, 31 more
through Latin nōscō ‘to know’
note, notice, notion, notorious, cognition, notation, notoriety, notary, acquaint, cognizance, annotate, 24 more
through Latin nōbilis ‘knowable, known, well-known, famous,…’
Today it means
noun An aristocrat; one of aristocratic blood.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / noble