recognise
UK[ˈrek.əɡ.naɪz]US[ˈrek.əɡ.naɪz]
v
To know who someone is or what something is because you have seen, heard, or experienced them before.
v
To accept that something is true, important, or legal.
v
To show official appreciation for something, for example by giving an award.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
cogn
ise
re
again
cogn
know
ise
verb suffix
Etymology
The word 'recognise' originates from the Latin verb 'recognoscere', which is a compound of the prefix 're-' (meaning "again") and the verb 'cognoscere' (meaning "to get to know, to learn"). 'Cognoscere' itself is built from the intensive prefix 'co-' and the root 'gnoscere', an older form of 'noscere' (to know), tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root gno- (to know). The literal sense of 'recognoscere' was "to know again" or "to recall to mind." This meaning evolved through Old French 'reconoistre' into Middle English, where it developed the broader modern senses of identifying something previously known, acknowledging a fact, or granting official status, all connected to the core idea of "knowing again" or bringing something back into conscious knowledge.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + cogn (know) + ise (verb suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- cogn: Latin origin, from the root meaning "to know" or "to learn".
- ise: A verb-forming suffix, often from Greek -izein via Latin and French, indicating "to make" or "to become".
Examples
I didn't recognise you with your new haircut.
The government has finally recognised the need for investment in public transport.
His lifetime of service was recognised with a knighthood.