Nescient
/ˈnɛʃ(ə)nt/noun
Lacking knowledge or awareness.
Did you know?Nescient comes from the same Latin knowing-root that gave English science, so the word quietly frames ignorance as the shadow of knowledge itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱei-
“to lie down, be aware, or mark off; the root behind knowing and perception in later Indo-European branches”
Latin
Latin
scīre
“to know, to discern”
Latin
Latin
nesciēns
“not knowing, ignorant; present participle of nesciō”
Late Latin
Latin
nescientem
“not knowing, unaware”
Middle English
English
nescient
“ignorant; lacking knowledge”
Modern English
English
nescient
“lacking knowledge or awareness”
Explore more surprising origins