not
Latinmark, note, sign
About This Root
The root not comes from Latin nota — a "mark, sign, or written character." In ancient Rome, a nota was anything you scratched onto a surface to make it stand out: a letter, a tag, a brand on goods, a symbol in the margin of a scroll. From the noun grew the verb notāre, "to mark," and beneath both sits the older verb nōscere, "to come to know" (its participle nōtus meaning "known"). So at heart this family revolves around one simple idea: a mark you make so that something becomes known or noticed.
The most literal members keep the physical mark. A note is a small written mark — on paper or in music. A notebook holds them. To notate or write a notation is to set things down in a system of marks. A notary is the official who makes the legal mark that certifies a document.
From "marking" comes "making something stand out to the eye," which is the family of attention. To notice is to let a mark register in your mind; something notable or noteworthy is marked out as worth attention; notably points at it; and a notable can even be the marked-out person — a distinguished figure.
A short branch turns marking into telling. To notify is not + the hidden root -fic- ("make") — literally "to make known." The act itself is a notification, including the little alerts that now light up your phone.
The most interesting jump is inward. A notion is something "marked" in your mind — an idea or concept you've registered. And notorious once meant simply "well known, openly marked"; over time the spotlight turned harsh, and being "widely marked" came to mean infamous — known for the wrong reasons.
Two prefixed verbs show how the mark points: denote (de- + not) means to mark something out precisely — to indicate or mean literally; while connotation (con- "along with" + not) is the extra meaning a word carries alongside its literal one — the marks that travel with it. So home denotes a building but connotes warmth.
Notice the through-line: whether it is ink on paper (note, notation), attention caught (notice, notable), a fact made known (notify, notorious), or an idea held in mind (notion), every not word traces back to a single act — making a mark so that something is known.
Picture jotting a note — a single ink mark that makes something stick. Every not- word is some version of that mark: you notice it, a notable event is marked out as important, you notify people to make it known, and a notion is the mark left in your mind.
Core Words Deep Dive
The few words from this family worth telling in full — one by one.
The family's darkest member. It originally meant simply 'well known, openly marked' — neutral, like notable. But the spotlight soured: being 'widely marked' came to mean known for bad reasons. Today notorious is almost always negative (a notorious criminal), so never use it as a compliment — say famous or renowned instead.
The most inward jump. From nota 'mark,' a notion is a mark left in your mind — a rough idea or concept rather than a worked-out theory. It often carries a faint sense of vagueness: 'I have no notion what he means.' Compare notion (loose idea) with concept (defined) and theory (tested).
Sits at the hinge of the family: a mark that catches the eye. As a verb, to notice is to let something register; as a noun, a notice is the posted mark that informs (a notice on the board) or the warning period before action (give two weeks' notice). One word, two everyday lives — perception and announcement.
de- (down, fully) + not = to mark something out precisely. denote means to indicate or to mean literally: a red light denotes danger. It pairs with connote (to suggest beyond the literal): the word home denotes a dwelling but connotes warmth. Denote = the dictionary meaning; connote = the feelings that travel with it.
Related Roots
Both mean 'mark/sign.' not (Latin nota) is a mark that records or notices something — note, notation, notice. sign (Latin signum) is a mark that signals or stands for something — signal, signify, design. Quick test: writing it down to remember → not; a mark that points to a meaning → sign.
not goes back to the same source as nōscere 'to know.' gno (as in ignore, diagnose, prognosis) and cogn (recognize, cognition) are the close cousins that kept the 'knowing' meaning more directly, while not specialized into 'mark / make known.'
Associated Words · 19
annotate
To add explanatory notes to a text
connotation
An implied or associated meaning of a word beyond its literal sense
denote
To indicate or be a sign of; to mean literally
notability
The quality of being notable; a distinguished person
notable
Remarkable, worthy of attention; a distinguished person
notably
Especially; in particular
notary
A public official who certifies documents and witnesses signatures
notate
To record using a system of symbols or notation
notation
A system of symbols used to represent specialized information
note
a brief written record or musical tone; to observe carefully
notebook
A book for writing notes; a portable laptop computer
noted
Well known and respected; famous
noteworthy
Deserving attention; remarkable
notice
to become aware of; an announcement or warning
notification
The act of informing someone; an official notice or alert
notify
To formally inform someone of something
notion
An idea or belief about something
notorious
Widely known for something negative; infamous
notoriously
In a way widely known, especially for something negative