verbfourth conjugation
nesciō
nesciō (present infinitive nescīre, perfect active nescīvī or nesciī, supine nescītum)
Classical[ˈnɛs.ki.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈnɛʃ.ʃi.o]
№ 525 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to not know, to be ignorant, to not understand
nesciō quis
someone; a certainnesciō quot
a certain amount of
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
nōn sciō.nesciō -īre — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
nōn sciōnesciō -īre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 4
Conjugation conjugation 4
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | nesciō | nesciēbam | nesciam | nescīvī nesciī | nescīveram nescieram | nescīverō nescierō |
| 2nd sg. | nescīs | nesciēbās | nesciēs | nescīvistī nesciistī, nescīstī | nescīverās nescierās | nescīveris nescieris |
| 3rd sg. | nescit | nesciēbat | nesciet | nescīvit nesciit | nescīverat nescierat | nescīverit nescierit |
| 1st pl. | nescīmus | nesciēbāmus | nesciēmus | nescīvimus nesciimus | nescīverāmus nescierāmus | nescīverimus nescierimus |
| 2nd pl. | nescītis | nesciēbātis | nesciētis | nescīvistis nesciistis | nescīverātis nescierātis | nescīveritis nescieritis |
| 3rd pl. | nesciunt | nesciēbant | nescient | nescīvērunt nescīvēre, nesciērunt, nesciēre | nescīverant nescierant | nescīverint nescierint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | nesciam | nescīrem | nescīverim nescierim | nescīvissem nesciissem, nescissem |
| 2nd sg. | nesciās | nescīrēs | nescīverīs nescierīs | nescīvissēs nesciissēs, nescissēs |
| 3rd sg. | nesciat | nescīret | nescīverit nescierit | nescīvisset nesciisset, nescisset |
| 1st pl. | nesciāmus | nescīrēmus | nescīverīmus nescierīmus | nescīvissēmus nesciissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | nesciātis | nescīrētis | nescīverītis nescierītis | nescīvissētis nesciissētis |
| 3rd pl. | nesciant | nescīrent | nescīverint nescierint | nescīvissent nesciissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | nescior | nesciēbar | nesciar |
| 2nd sg. | nescīris nescīre | nesciēbāris nesciēbāre | nesciēris nesciēre |
| 3rd sg. | nescītur | nesciēbātur | nesciētur |
| 1st pl. | nescīmur | nesciēbāmur | nesciēmur |
| 2nd pl. | nescīminī | nesciēbāminī | nesciēminī |
| 3rd pl. | nesciuntur | nesciēbantur | nescientur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | nesciar | nescīrer |
| 2nd sg. | nesciāris nesciāre | nescīrēris nescīrēre |
| 3rd sg. | nesciātur | nescīrētur |
| 1st pl. | nesciāmur | nescīrēmur |
| 2nd pl. | nesciāminī | nescīrēminī |
| 3rd pl. | nesciantur | nescīrentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | nescī | nescīre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | nescīte | nescīminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | nescītō | nescītor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | nescītō | nescītor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | nescītōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | nesciuntō | nesciuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | nescīre | nescīrī |
| perfect infinitive | nescīvisse nesciisse, nescīsse | nescītum esse |
| future infinitive | nescītūrum esse | nescītum īrī |
| present participle | nesciēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | nescītus nescīta, nescītā, nescītae, nescītam, nescītārum, nescītās, nescītī, nescītōrum, nescītōs |
| future participle | nescītūrus nescītūra, nescītūrā, nescītūrae, nescītūram, nescītūrārum, nescītūrās, nescītūre, nescītūrī, nescītūrīs, nescītūrō, nescītūrōrum, nescītūrōs, nescītūrum | nesciendus nesciundus, nescienda, nesciendā, nesciendae, nesciendam, nesciendārum, nesciendās, nesciende, nesciendīs, nesciendōrum, nesciendōs |
gerundnesciendī, nesciendō, nesciendumsupinenescītum, nescītū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- nescio quis
- an anonymous writer.
- nescio quo casu (with Indic.)
- by some chance or other.
- liber refertur ad nescio quem auctorem
- the book is attributed to an unknown writer.
ne-scĭo, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 4,
I. v. a., not to know, to be ignorant (syn. ignoro):
hunc nescire sat scio de illā amicā, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 48: nescis cui maledicas nunc viro, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 29: nec me pudet fateri nescire, quod nesciam, Cic. Tusc. 1, 25, 60: de Oropo opinor, sed certum nescio, id. Att. 12, 23, 2: quid nobis agendum sit, nescio, id. ib. 7, 12, 2: anima sit (animus) ignisve, nescio, id. Tusc. 1, 25, 60: nescis quantā cum expectatione sim te auditurus, you cannot think, id. N. D. 3, 1, 2: nescis, temeraria, nescis, Quem fugias, Ov. M. 1, 514: nobis omnia de te Quaerere, si nescis, maxima cura fuit, id. H. 17, 197; 20, 150: quod scis or scies, nescis, a formula used in advising another to keep a secret: ne tu hercle linguam comprimes Posthac: etiam illud quod scies nesciveris, Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 89: tu nescis id quod scis, Dromo, si sapies, Ter. Heaut. 4, 4, 26; id. Eun. 4, 4, 55.—With acc. and inf.: nescibam id dicere illam, Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 10: nescit Agenorides natam parvumque nepotem Aequoris esse deos, Ov. M. 4, 562.—With inf. alone: nescire Tarquinios privatos vivere, Liv. 2, 2, 3: gens, quae victa quiescere nesciat, id. 9, 3, 12; 22, 51, 4; Curt. 7, 7, 16; Just. 28, 3, 12; Aug. Serm. 330, 3.—(b). Pass.:
utrum consistere uspiam velit an mare transire nescitur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 2: talibus locis pruinarum vis et natura nescitur, Pall. 11, 4, 2: lis antea nescita, unknown, Sid. Ep. 8, 6.—(g). Nescio quis, nescio quid, nescio quomodo, nescio an, used in an assertion to express uncertainty with regard to some particular contained in it; and usually without influencing the mood of the following verb: nescio quis, I know not who, some one, somebody, a certain person: nescio quid, I know not what, something, some, a certain:
prope me hic nescio quis loquitur, Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 9: nescio quid profecto mihi animus praesagit mali, Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 7: nisi me forte Paconii nescio cujus querelis moveri putes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6: o pastores nescio quos cupidos litterarum, id. Flacc. 17, 39; in affected ignorance, to denote that a thing is insignificant, small, mean, etc.: fortasse non jejunum hoc nescio quid quod ego gessi, et contemnendum videtur, id. Fam. 15, 4, 14: quia nescio quid in philosophiā dissentiret, a little, id. N. D. 1, 33, 93: nescio quid litterularum, a short letter, id. Att. 15, 4, 1: rumoris nescio quid afflavit, id. ib. 16, 5, 1: causidicum nescio quem, id. de Or. 1, 46, 202: nescio quid e quercu exsculpseram, id. Att. 13, 28, 2: sententiae nescio unde ex abdito erutae, id. Or. 24, 79: nescio quid etiam de Locrorum proelio, id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: mente nescio quā effrenatā atque praecipiti, id. Cael. 15, 35: illud nescio quod non fortuitum, sed divinum videbatur, id. Fam. 7, 5, 2: nescio quid praeclarum, remarkable or extraordinary excellence, id. Arch. 7, 15: fit enim, nescio quomodo, ut, etc., I know not how, id. Off. 1, 41, 146: boni nescio quomodo tardiores sunt, id. Sest. 47, 100: qui, nescio quo modo, conspirant, Nep. Alcib. 11, 1; id. Thras. 1, 3: casu nescio quo, Cic. Fam. 5, 15, 3: alii nescio quo pacto obduruerunt, id. ib. 5, 15, 2; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6, § 18: sed ita fato nescio quo contigisse arbitror, ut, etc., id. Fam. 15, 13, 2; cf.: contra rem suam me nescio quando venisse questus est, id. Phil. 2, 2, 3: nescio an, I know not whether, probably, perhaps: constantiam dico? nescio an melius patientiam possim dicere, id. Lig. 9, 26: sin illam alteram, nescio an amplius mihi negotii contrahatur, id. Cat. 4, 5, 9: ingens eo die res et nescio an maxima illo bello gesta sit, Liv. 23, 16; v. the art. an.—II. In partic.
A. Not to know, to be unacquainted with a person or thing (mostly poet.):
illa illum nescit, Plaut. Aul. prol. 30; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 16: non nescire hiemem, Verg. G. 1, 391: deos, Luc. 1, 453: litteras, Sen. Clem. 2, 1: vinum toto nescire Decembri, i. e. to abstain from, Juv. 7, 97.—B. Not to understand; to be unable:
non tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire, Cic. Brut. 37, 140; Juv. 6, 188: stare loco nescit, said of a horse, Verg. G. 3, 84: nescit vox missa reverti, cannot be unsaid, Hor. A. P. 390.—C. To be incapable:
Stoici omnino irasci nesciunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 18, 65: qui nesciat irasci, Juv. 10, 360.—Hence, nescĭens, entis, P. a., unknowing, ignorant, unaware (class. nescius): ut nescientem sentiat te id sibi dare, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 59: nesciens sui, unconscious, App. Mag. p. 301, 9.—Hence, adv.: nescĭenter, unknowingly, ignorantly, Aug. Doctr. Chr. 2, 40.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
nē-sciō īvī, —, īre,
not to know, to be ignorant: quid agam nescio, T.: de Oropo opinor, sed certum nescio: animae sit (illa vis) ignisve, nescio: nescis, Quem fugias, O.: Tu nescis id quod scis, si sapies, i. e. keep closely secret, T.: nescibam id dicere illam, T.: vincere scis, victoriā uti nescis, L.: utrum velit . . . nescitur: futura, O.—With quis or quid, I know not who, some one, somebody, a certain person, I know not what, something, some, a certain: oblatum ab nescio quo inprobo, T.: postea quam nescio quid impendit: hoc nescio quid, quod ego gessi, this trifle: quia nescio quid in philosophiā dissentiret, a little: nescio quid litterularum, a sort of letter: Laetus est nescio quid, over something, T.: casu nescio quo: nescio quid praeclarum, indefinable excellence.—With quo modo, somehow, I know not how: fit enim, nescio quo modo, ut, etc.: qui, nescio quo modo, conspirant, N.—With quando, at some time or other: me nescio quando venisse questus est.—With an, I know not whether, probably, perhaps (softening an assertion): constantiam dico? nescio an melius patientiam possim dicere, perhaps I might better say: nescio an modum excesserint, L.—Not to know, to be unacquainted with: Nescio alias, i. e. how others may act, T.: eas artīs: hiemem, V.: vinum toto nescire Decembri, i. e. abstain from, Iu.—Not to understand, to be unable: scire Latine . . . nescire: stare loco nescit (of a horse), V.: nescit vox missa reverti, cannot be unsaid, H.: irasci: Uxor invicti Iovis esse nescis, know not how to be, H.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *néder. Proto-Indo-European *méh₁ Proto-Indo-European *néh₁der. Proto-Italic *nē Archaic Latin nei Old Latin ne Latin ne- Proto-Indo-European *sek-? Proto-Indo-European *-éyti Proto-Indo-European *skey-der. Latin sciō Latin nesciō From ne- (“not”) + sciō (“to know”).
Descendants
- Englishnescient
- Italiannescire
- Romaniannești
- Romanianniscai
In English words that came into English from nesciō
- nicenescius
- nesciencenescientia
- nescientnesciēns