认识 vs 知道 based on glyph origins
I stated in my comment that I don't think study the etymology help you understand a character as much as cross reference the roles of a character in different compound words.

For 認
[1] recognise; identify; make out
[2] admit; acknowledge; agree; accept
[3] enter into a certain relationship with
[4] offer/undertake to do sth

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For 識
[1] [v] know; recognize; discern
[2] [n] knowledge; opinion; view

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For 認識 = to know, to recognize.
The logic behind it came from the meaning 'to recognize' in 認 and &quot;to know&quot; in 識. You recognize something, to know it

Similarly:
見識: experience(v) = (see + know)
*'to see to know'
見識: experience(n)= (see + knowledge)
knowledge from what you had seen
學識: knowledge; acquirements (n) = (learn/study + know)
knowledge from what you had studied
常識: common sense; general knowledge(n) = (common + knowledge)
knowledge that is common
Back to 認識, you know 識 is a knowledge you gain by '認' and from all the meanings 認 contained, only &quot;recognise / identify&quot; make sense, thus we know 認識 means &quot;knowledge gained by identify something&quot; or &quot; to identify something to know it.&quot;
As for 知道 (to know about something)

知
[1] [v] know; understand; be aware of
[2] [n] knowledge; learning
[3] [v] to inform; notify; tell

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道
[7] [v] think; suppose; wonder

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知道: to know about something

you 知 (know; understand; be aware of) and 道 (think) - &quot;you know and think of/suppose something as~&quot;
From the information above, we can discern the difference between 認識 and 知道 :

認識 = 1.(v) to recognize to know  2.(v)know (someone/ something you recognize/ identified before)
you have to meet someone, or come across something to recognize and know him or it.
知道= to know (be aware of someone/something)
You don't have to meet a person to know him, you can know or be aware of someone by reading about him or heard of him.