I.v. a., not to know, to be ignorant (syn. ignoro): “hunc nescire sat scio de illā amicā,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 48: “nescis cui maledicas nunc viro,” Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 29: “nec me pudet fateri nescire, quod nesciam,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 25, 60: “de Oropo opinor, sed certum nescio,” id. Att. 12, 23, 2: “quid nobis agendum sit, nescio,” id. ib. 7, 12, 2: “anima sit (animus) ignisve, nescio,” id. Tusc. 1, 25, 60: “nescis quantā cum expectatione sim te auditurus,” you cannot think, id. N. D. 3, 1, 2: “nescis, temeraria, nescis, Quem fugias,” Ov. M. 1, 514: “nobis omnia de te Quaerere, si nescis, maxima cura fuit,” id. H. 17, 197; 20, 150: “quod scis or scies, nescis, a formula used in advising another to keep a secret: ne tu hercle linguam comprimes Posthac: etiam illud quod scies nesciveris,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 89: “tu nescis id quod scis, Dromo, si sapies,” Ter. Heaut. 4, 4, 26; id. Eun. 4, 4, 55.—With acc. and inf.: “nescibam id dicere illam,” Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 10: “nescit Agenorides natam parvumque nepotem Aequoris esse deos,” Ov. M. 4, 562.—With inf. alone: “nescire Tarquinios privatos vivere,” Liv. 2, 2, 3: “gens, quae victa quiescere nesciat,” id. 9, 3, 12; 22, 51, 4; Curt. 7, 7, 16; Just. 28, 3, 12; Aug. Serm. 330, 3.—
(β).
Pass.: “utrum consistere uspiam velit an mare transire nescitur,” Cic. Att. 7, 12, 2: “talibus locis pruinarum vis et natura nescitur,” Pall. 11, 4, 2: “lis antea nescita,” unknown, Sid. Ep. 8, 6.—
(γ).
Nescio quis, nescio quid, nescio quomodo, nescio an, used in an assertion to express uncertainty with regard to some particular contained in it; and usually without influencing the mood of the following verb: nescio quis, I know not who, some one, somebody, a certain person: nescio quid, I know not what, something, some, a certain: “prope me hic nescio quis loquitur,” Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 9: “nescio quid profecto mihi animus praesagit mali,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 7: “nisi me forte Paconii nescio cujus querelis moveri putes,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6: “o pastores nescio quos cupidos litterarum,” id. Flacc. 17, 39; in affected ignorance, to denote that a thing is insignificant, small, mean, etc.: “fortasse non jejunum hoc nescio quid quod ego gessi, et contemnendum videtur,” id. Fam. 15, 4, 14: “quia nescio quid in philosophiā dissentiret,” a little, id. N. D. 1, 33, 93: “nescio quid litterularum,” a short letter, id. Att. 15, 4, 1: “rumoris nescio quid afflavit,” id. ib. 16, 5, 1: “causidicum nescio quem,” id. de Or. 1, 46, 202: “nescio quid e quercu exsculpseram,” id. Att. 13, 28, 2: “sententiae nescio unde ex abdito erutae,” id. Or. 24, 79: “nescio quid etiam de Locrorum proelio,” id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: “mente nescio quā effrenatā atque praecipiti,” id. Cael. 15, 35: “illud nescio quod non fortuitum, sed divinum videbatur,” id. Fam. 7, 5, 2: nescio quid praeclarum, remarkable or extraordinary excellence, id. Arch. 7, 15: “fit enim, nescio quomodo, ut, etc.,” I know not how, id. Off. 1, 41, 146: “boni nescio quomodo tardiores sunt,” id. Sest. 47, 100: “qui, nescio quo modo, conspirant,” Nep. Alcib. 11, 1; id. Thras. 1, 3: “casu nescio quo,” Cic. Fam. 5, 15, 3: “alii nescio quo pacto obduruerunt,” id. ib. 5, 15, 2; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6, § 18: “sed ita fato nescio quo contigisse arbitror, ut, etc.,” id. Fam. 15, 13, 2; cf.: “contra rem suam me nescio quando venisse questus est,” id. Phil. 2, 2, 3: nescio an, I know not whether, probably, perhaps: “constantiam dico? nescio an melius patientiam possim dicere,” id. Lig. 9, 26: “sin illam alteram, nescio an amplius mihi negotii contrahatur,” id. Cat. 4, 5, 9: “ingens eo die res et nescio an maxima illo bello gesta sit,” Liv. 23, 16; v. the art. an.—
II. In partic.
A. Not to know, to be unacquainted with a person or thing (mostly poet.): “illa illum nescit,” Plaut. Aul. prol. 30; Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 16: “non nescire hiemem,” Verg. G. 1, 391: “deos,” Luc. 1, 453: “litteras,” Sen. Clem. 2, 1: “vinum toto nescire Decembri,” i. e. to abstain from, Juv. 7, 97.—
B. Not to understand; to be unable: “non tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire,” Cic. Brut. 37, 140; Juv. 6, 188: “stare loco nescit, said of a horse,” Verg. G. 3, 84: “nescit vox missa reverti,” cannot be unsaid, Hor. A. P. 390.—
C. To be incapable: “Stoici omnino irasci nesciunt,” Cic. de Or. 3, 18, 65: “qui nesciat irasci,” Juv. 10, 360.—Hence, nescĭens , entis, P. a., unknowing, ignorant, unaware (class. nescius): “ut nescientem sentiat te id sibi dare,” Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 59: “nesciens sui,” unconscious, App. Mag. p. 301, 9.—Hence, adv.: nescĭenter , unknowingly, ignorantly, Aug. Doctr. Chr. 2, 40.
