Search results
- mid-15c., "of low birth;" 1590s as "not honorable, of low character;" from French ignoble (14c.), from Latin ignobilis "unknown, undistinguished, obscure; of base birth, not noble," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + gnobilis "well-known, famous, renowned, of superior birth," from PIE root *gno- "to know."
www.etymonline.com › word › ignoble
Dec 8, 2020 · ignoble (adj.)mid-15c., "of low birth;" 1590s as "not honorable, of low character;" from French ignoble (14c.), from Latin ignobilis "unknown, undistinguished, obscure; of base birth, not noble," from assimilated form of in-"not, opposite of" (see in-(1)) + gnobilis "well-known, famous, renowned, of superior birth," from PIE root *gno-"to know
People also ask
Where did the word ignoble come from?
When was ignoble first used?
What does ignoble mean?
What is the root word of ignobility?
The earliest known use of the word ignoble is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for ignoble is from 1447, in the writing of Osbern Bokenham, poet and Augustinian friar.
Ignoble derives via Middle English and Middle French from the Latin prefix in-("not") and the Old Latin gnobilis ("noble"). Originally, ignoble described someone born to common or plebeian origins, but by the late 16th century it had come to describe people of dishonorable character, or the actions performed by such people.
The earliest known use of the verb ignoble is in the late 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for ignoble is from around 1590, in the writing of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor, politician, and philosopher. It is also recorded as an adjective from the Middle English period (1150—1500).
Jul 11, 2024 · Etymology. [edit] Borrowed from Middle French ignoble, from Latin ignōbilis, from in- (“not”) + gnōbilis, later nōbilis (“noble”) .
Word Origin late Middle English (originally referring to someone of humble origin or social status): from French, or from Latin ignobilis, from in-‘not’ + gnobilis, older form of nobilis ‘noble’.
If you describe something as ignoble, you mean that it is bad and something to be ashamed of.
