#89127
12/08/2002 10:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I encountered this word in an astronomy article in DISCOVER magazine. I checked, and found
it had been used in AWADtalk, twice erroneously, and never defined.
The errors consisted of not noticing the difference between singular and plural.
cognoscente (too bad the pron;unciation marks are garbage. The "g" is not hard = conyoshentay?
n.,
pl. ti orig. prp. of conoscere, to know < L cognoscere: see COGNITION6 a person with special knowledge in some field, esp. in the fine arts; expert
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#89128
12/08/2002 11:17 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Cognoscente sounds like feminine plural.
M-W says it's obsolete Italian.
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#89129
12/08/2002 11:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
cognoscente
SYLLABICATION:
coˇgnoˇscenˇte
PRONUNCIATION:
AUDIO: kny-shnt, kgn- KEY
NOUN:
Inflected forms: pl. coˇgnoˇscenˇti (-t)
A person with superior, usually specialized knowledge or
highly refined taste; a connoisseur.
ETYMOLOGY:
Obsolete Italian, from Latin cognscns, cognscent-,
present participle of cognscere, to know. See cognition.
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#89130
12/10/2002 6:08 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
cognscns, cognscent-, present participle of cognscere, to know
too many missing "o" to be typos...
I think that it has to be cognoscere, and so on...
And, Faldage, it is not feminine plural. The modern form " conoscente" is (used as a) noun, and has equal masculine and feminine form. The literal meaning is " the one who knows" , but now it is used as " an acquaintance"
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#89131
12/12/2002 10:11 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 11,216 Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 11,216 Likes: 2 |
The literal meaning is " the one who knows" , but now it is used as " an acquaintance"
Dunno that I agree with that one. I've only heard it used to refer to those "in the know," meaning experts, authorities in a field, "mavens." Perhaps with a sense of inflated self-importance thrown in. The cognoscenti are a cut above hoi polloi.
Having it mean "acquaintance" is a totally brand-new usage to me. Maybe I'm too much into Gilbert and Sullivan...
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#89132
12/12/2002 10:22 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
emanuela is Italian, so she's offering a different perspective. I don't think in English we would think of it as an acquaintance, but we ain't the whole world. 
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#89133
12/13/2002 2:24 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
we ain't the whole world.
Best watch where you say treasonous stuff like that, young lady.
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#89134
12/13/2002 2:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Sadly, the world is full of ignoscentes.
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