all-knowing

The compound "all-knowing" is a transparent formation from native English elements. The intensifier "all," with its sense of totality, is prefixed to the present participle of the verb "know," creating an adjective that literally describes the state of "knowing all." This logical construction follows a common Germanic pattern for forming descriptive compounds. While the concept of omniscience has deep roots in theological and philosophical discourse, often expressed by Latinate terms like "omniscient," "all-knowing" serves as its direct and comprehensible English calque, making the abstract idea of complete knowledge immediately accessible through its constituent parts.

Structure: all (entirely) + know (to have knowledge) + ing (adjective suffix) - all: From Old English eall, meaning "entirely, wholly, completely." It functions as an intensifying prefix in this compound. - know: From Old English cnāwan, meaning "to perceive, recognize, understand." It is the core verb root conveying the sense of possessing knowledge. - ing: A suffix from Old English -ende, -inge, used to form present participles and adjectives from verbs, indicating a quality or state.