Etymograph

English

recognizance

Recognizance comes from Old French reconissance, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-1‘to recognise’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400reconissance1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reconisaunce1
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604recognizance1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English recognizance
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “That recognizance and pledge of love / Which I…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-Wiktionary, English recognizance‘to recognise’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400reconissanceWiktionary, English recognizance
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reconisaunceWiktionary, English recognizance
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1604recognizanceWiktionary, English recognizance. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice: “That recognizance and pledge of love / Which I…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to recognise’

can, know, could, note, normal, notice, narrative, glory, noble, ken, ignore, notion, keen, con, norm, notorious, recognition, ignorant, diagnostic, cognitive, notation, nobility, narration, cunning, quaint, notoriety, notary, prognosis, gnome, agnostic, cognition, connoisseur, canny, incognito, kith, canna, uncouth, gnosis, annotate, cun, 91 more

Today it means

noun A form of bail; a promise made by the accused to the court that they will attend all required judicial proceedings and will not engage in further illegal activity or other prohibited conduct as set by the court.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “recognizance”. 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- / recognizance

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