Aware, a.
Etymology: [OE. iwar, AS. gewær, fr. wær wary. The pref. ge- orig. meant together, completely. Wary.]
1. Watchful; vigilant or on one's guard against danger or difficulty.
2. Apprised; informed; cognizant; conscious; as, he was aware of the enemy's designs. Aware of nothing arduous in a task They never undertook. Cowper.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for aware; he lists it under conscious.
Where he writes about it:
One is aware of that which exists without him; he is conscious of the inner workings of his own mind. — from conscious
A person may feel assured or sure of something false or non-existent; what he is aware of, still more what he is conscious of, must be fact. — from conscious