incognito

See also: incógnito

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian incognito, from Latin incognitus (“unknown”), from in- (“not”) +‎ cognitus (“known”), perfect passive participle of cognoscere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌɪnkɒɡˈniːtoʊ/, /ˌɪnˈkɒɡnɪtoʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːtəʊ

Adjective

incognito (not comparable)

1. Without being known; in an assumed character, or under an assumed title; in disguise.

   Coordinate term: incognita

   • 1703, Mat[thew] Prior, “The Ladle”, in Poems on Several Occasions, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1709, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 125:

     THE Scepticks think 'twas long ago, / Since Gods came down Incognito; / To ſee who were their Friends or Foes, / And how our Actions fell or roſe.

   • 1891 June 25, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adventure I.—A Scandal in Bohemia.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume II, London: George Newnes, Limited, […], published July 1891, →OCLC, page 65, column 2:

     "But you can understand," said our strange visitor, sitting down once more and passing his hand over his high white forehead, "you can understand that I am not accustomed to doing such business in my own person. Yet the matter was so delicate that I could not confide it to an agent without putting myself in his power. I have come incognito from Prague for the purpose of consulting you."

Usage notes

This term is said especially of great personages who sometimes adopt a disguise or an assumed character in order to avoid notice.

Translations

without being known; in an assumed character, or under an assumed title; in disguise

• Arabic: مَجْهُول m (majhūl)
• Dutch: incognito (nl)
• Finnish: tuntematon (fi)
• Hungarian: inkognitó (hu)
• Icelandic: huldu höfði
• Portuguese: incógnito (pt)
• Russian: инко́гнито (ru) (inkógnito)
• Spanish: incógnito
• Swedish: inkognito (sv)

Adverb

incognito (not comparable)

1. Without revealing one's identity.
   • 1709 May 30 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Thursday, May 19, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 17; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.;  […], 1822, →OCLC:

     The prince royal of Prussia came thither incognito.

Translations

without revealing one's identity

• Catalan: d'incògnit (ca)
• Dutch: incognito (nl)
• Finnish: tuntemattomana, nimettömästi (fi), inkognito (fi)
• Hungarian: inkognitóban (hu)
• Icelandic: huldu höfði, undir dulnefni, undir fölsku nafni
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: inkognito

  Nynorsk: inkognito

• Polish: incognito (pl)
• Portuguese: incognitamente
• Russian: инко́гнито (ru) (inkógnito)
• Spanish: de incógnito
• Swedish: inkognito (sv)

Noun

incognito (countable and uncountable, plural incognitos)

1. One unknown or in disguise, or under an assumed character or name.

   Coordinate term: incognita

2. The assumption of disguise or of a feigned character; the state of being in disguise or not recognized.

   Coordinate term: incognita

   • 1829 January 1, Walter Scott, “General Preface”, in Waverley (Waverley Novels; I), Edinburgh: […] Cadell & Company; London: Simpkin and Marshall, page xxxii:

     Of those letters, and other attempts of the same kind, the author could not complain, though his incognito was endangered. He had challenged the public to a game at bo-peep, and if he was discovered in his “hiding-hole,” he must submit to the shame of detection.

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XX, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 169:

     It contained a letter from the King himself, craving hospitality for a few days, as his mother was about to visit England, and to take up with Lord Avonleigh her residence at the Castle. A slight incognito would be preserved, and as little form and ceremony expected as was possible.

Anagrams

• cognition

French

Etymology

From Italian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.kɔ.ɲi.to/

• Audio

  (file)

Adverb

incognito

1. incognito

Adjective

incognito (plural incognitos)

1. incognito

Noun

incognito m (plural incognitos)

1. incognito

Further reading

• “incognito”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Italian

Etymology

From Latin incognitus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈkɔɲ.ɲi.to/
• Rhymes: -ɔɲɲito
• Hyphenation: in‧cò‧gni‧to

Adjective

incognito (feminine incognita, masculine plural incogniti, feminine plural incognite)

1. unknown
2. (archaic) unaware; ignorant

Derived terms

• incognitamente

Noun

incognito m (plural incogniti)

1. incognito

Related terms

• incognita

Latin

Adjective

incognitō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of incognitus

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian incognito, from Latin incognitus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈkɔɡ.ɲi.tɔ/
• Rhymes: -itɔ
• Syllabification: in‧cog‧ni‧to

Adverb

incognito (not comparable)

1. (literary) incognito (without revealing one's identity)

   Synonym: anonimowo

Noun

incognito n (indeclinable)

1. (literary) incognito (assumption of disguise or of a feigned character; the state of being in disguise or not recognized)

   Synonym: anonimowość

Further reading

• incognito in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• incognito in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French incognito or Italian incognito.

Adjective

incognito m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. unknown

Declension

Declension of incognito (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	incognito		incognito	incognito	incognito
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive/ dative	indefinite	incognito		incognito	incognito	incognito
	definite	—		—	—	—

Adverb

incognito

1. unknown