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Origin and history of notice

notice(n.)

early 15c., "information, knowledge, intelligence," from Old French notece (14c.), and directly from Latin notitia "a being known, celebrity, fame, knowledge," from notus "known," past participle of (g)noscere "come to know, to get to know, get acquainted (with)," from PIE *gno-sko-, a suffixed form of PIE root *gno- "to know."

Sense of "formal statement conveying information or warning" is attested from 1590s. Meaning "heed, regard, cognizance" (as in take notice) is from 1590s. Meaning "a sign giving information" is from 1805. Meaning "written remarks or comments" especially on a new book or play is by 1835.

notice(v.)

early 15c., "to notify, give notice of" (a sense obsolete since 17c.), from notice (n.). The sense of "to point out, refer to, remark upon" is from 1620s. The meaning "to take notice of, perceive, become aware of" is attested by 1757, but it was long execrated by purists in England as an Americanism (also occasionally as a Scotticism, the two offenses not being clearly distinguished). Ben Franklin noted it as one of the words (along with verbal uses of progress and advocate) that seemed to him to have become popular in America while he was absent in France during the Revolution. Related: Noticed; noticing.

Entries linking to notice

1796, "worthy of notice, likely to attract attention," from notice (n.) + -able. Meaning "capable of being noticed or observed" is from 1809. Related: Noticeably.

"not observed or regarded," 1720, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of notice (v.).

*gnō-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to know."

It might form all or part of: acknowledge; acquaint; agnostic; anagnorisis; astrognosy; can (v.1) "have power to, be able;" cognition; cognizance; con (n.2) "study;" connoisseur; could; couth; cunning; diagnosis; ennoble; gnome; (n.2) "short, pithy statement of general truth;" gnomic; gnomon; gnosis; gnostic; Gnostic; ignoble; ignorant; ignore; incognito; ken (n.1) "cognizance, intellectual view;" kenning; kith; know; knowledge; narrate; narration; nobility; noble; notice; notify; notion; notorious; physiognomy; prognosis; quaint; recognize; reconnaissance; reconnoiter; uncouth; Zend.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit jna- "know;" Avestan zainti- "knowledge," Old Persian xšnasatiy "he shall know;" Old Church Slavonic znati "recognizes," Russian znat "to know;" Latin gnoscere "get to know," nobilis "known, famous, noble;" Greek gignōskein "to know," gnōtos "known," gnōsis "knowledge, inquiry;" Old Irish gnath "known;" German kennen "to know," Gothic kannjan "to make known."

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