English
prognosis
Prognosis comes from Late Latin prognōsis ‘forecast, prediction’, from Ancient Greek γνῶσῐς ‘inquiry, investigation’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-1‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃tis1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγνῶσῐς1gnôsĭs‘inquiry, investigation’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρόγνωσις1prógnōsis‘forecast of the course and outcome of a disease’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprognōsis1‘forecast, prediction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655prognosis1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English prognosis
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1655, Lazarus Riverius [i.e., Of a Pestilential Feaver: “Hovvbeit it is to be noted (vvhich vve hinted…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-Wiktionary, English prognosis‘to recognise’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃tisWiktionary, English prognosisreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγνῶσῐςWiktionary, English prognosisgnôsĭs‘inquiry, investigation’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπρόγνωσιςWiktionary, English prognosisprógnōsis‘forecast of the course and outcome of a disease’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEprognōsisWiktionary, English prognosis‘forecast, prediction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1655prognosisWiktionary, English prognosis. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1655, Lazarus Riverius [i.e., Of a Pestilential Feaver: “Hovvbeit it is to be noted (vvhich vve hinted…”
The story
Learned borrowing from Late Latin prognōsis (‘forecast, prediction; forecast of the course and outcome of a disease’), itself borrowed from Ancient Greek πρόγνωσις (prógnōsis, “forecast of the course and outcome of a disease; (Koine) foreknowledge, perceiving beforehand, prediction”), from προ- (pro-, prefix meaning ‘before; beforehand’) + γνῶσῐς (gnôsĭs, “inquiry, investigation; knowledge”). The plural prognoses is a learned borrowing from Late Latin prognōsēs.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’
can, could, know, normal, note, notice, narrative, glory, con, recognize, ken, recognition, keen, ignore, noble, notion, cognitive, ignorant, norm, notorious, cunning, diagnostic, narration, notation, nobility, quaint, cognition, notoriety, notary, canny, gnome, incognito, connoisseur, agnostic, uncouth, canna, kith, annotate, recognizance, cun, 91 more
Today it means
noun A forecast of the future course or outcome of a situation based on what is presently known; a prediction.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “prognosis”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / prognosis