don't known.

Brit.

/ˌdəʊnt ˈnəʊ/, U.S.

/ˌdoʊn(t) ˈnoʊ/

Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: English (I) don't know.

Etymology: < (I) don't know: see know v. 11.

1. A person who does not know (something) or who has not reached a decision or opinion on a particular subject, esp. in answering a questionnaire, poll, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > [noun] > one who doubts

doubtful1589

doubter1603

sceptica1618

ducker1620

miscreant1660

hummer1820

dubitant1821

don't know1839

hesitater1853

persuadend1865

don't knowist1908

undecided1968

1839 J. G. Millingen Stories of Torres Vedras II. 308 He [sc. the Russian emperor Paul] bestowed upon them the nick-name of the ‘Don't know regiment’..Meeting one of them..he..said, ‘This is one of the “Don't knows”.’

1884 Pop. Sci. Monthly Aug. 442 Agnostic is only dog-Greek for ‘don't know’, and we have no taste to be called ‘don't knows’.

1915 Educ. Admin. & Supervison Mar. 182 In the June test the percentage of ‘don't knows’ in the first group diminished to 8.

1940 T. H. Harrisson & C. H. Madge War begins at Home xiv. 381 Their figures differ from ours in showing a lower number of Don't knows.

1959 News Chron. 28 Sept. 6/1 There has now been enough old-fashioned give-and-take to make the Don't Knows start thinking.

2008 New Yorker 11 Aug. 45/2 The Undecided squared off..with the Don't Knows, broken up by the Have No Opinions Worth Mentioning. The I Forgets stood on the sidelines.

2. A response of ‘(I) don't know’; (also) a matter about which a person claims to have no knowledge or opinion.

ΚΠ

1847 G. Heaton Clergyman in Gaol 85 Ask them after chapel, what the sermon was about, after eleven ‘Don't knows’ you may get an answer, such as ‘the Lord’.

1883 Pulpit Treasury Aug. 233/2 Because he says, ‘I don't know’, must he begin to preach his ‘don't knows’! It is usually better to preach what one knows.

1915 Cases Supreme Court Mississippi 105 117 Notice especially the ‘Don't knows’ in the spaces opposite the questions as to his family history.

1970 Amateur Photographer 11 Mar. 29/1 All the questions are completely answered; there are none of those curious ‘don't knows’ that usually round off the totals.

2010 J. A. Krosnick & S. Presser in P. V. Marsden & J. D. Wright Handbk. Surv. Res. (ed. 2) ix. 288 Consistent with our advice..on don't knows, it is better not to provide explicit DK options for sensitive items.

Derivatives

don't ˈknowist n. rare a person who claims to have no knowledge or opinion about a matter; an agnostic.

ΘΚΠ