cennan

Old English

Etymology 1

(deprecated template usage) From Proto-Germanic *kannijaną, causative form of *kunnaną (“to know”). Cognate with Old Saxon kennian (Dutch kennen), Old Frisian kenna, Old High German chennan (German kennen), Old Norse kenna (Danish kende, spelling before the writing reform of 1948: kjende), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (kannjan, “to declare”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken.nɑn/

Verb

cennan

1. to make known, declare
2. to produce, bring forth, declare
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth & Thomas Northcote Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, German Lexicon Project.
     1. Gif he cynne ðæt he hit bohte. ― (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Conjugation of cennan (weak class 1)

infinitive	cennan	cennenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	cenne	cende
second person singular	cennest, censt	cendest
third person singular	cenneþ, cenþ	cende
plural	cennaþ	cendon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	cenne	cende
plural	cennen	cenden
imperative
singular	cenn
plural	cennaþ
participle	present	past
	cennende	(ġe)cenned

Derived terms

• ġecennan

Descendants

• Middle English: kennen
  • English: ken
  • Scots: ken

Etymology 2

(deprecated template usage) From Proto-Germanic *kanjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵonh₁éyeti, the causative formation of the root *ǵenh₁-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken.nɑn/

Verb

cennan

1. to beget, bear, give birth to
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth & Thomas Northcote Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, German Lexicon Project.
     1. Ic todæg cende ðē. ― (please add an English translation of this quotation)
     2. Ðam wæs Judas nama cenned. ― (please add an English translation of this quotation)
     3. On sāre þū cennest bearn. ― (please add an English translation of this quotation)
     4. Cenne hē ðæt bearn ðām gefarenan brēðer. ― (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjugation

Conjugation of cennan (weak class 1)

infinitive	cennan	cennenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	cenne	cende
second person singular	cennest, censt	cendest
third person singular	cenneþ, cenþ	cende
plural	cennaþ	cendon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	cenne	cende
plural	cennen	cenden
imperative
singular	cenn
plural	cennaþ
participle	present	past
	cennende	(ġe)cenned

Derived terms

• ācennan

Descendants

• Middle English: kennen

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “cennan”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.