cunnan

Old Dutch

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From Proto-Germanic *kunnaną.

Verb

cunnan

1. to know, to be familiar with
2. (auxiliary) can, to be able to

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: connen
  • Dutch: kunnen, (dialectal) kennen, konnen
    • Afrikaans: kan (from inflected form kan)
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: kan (from inflected form kan)
    • Javindo: ken
    • Negerhollands: kan, ka (from inflected form kan)
    • Petjo: kan, ken
    • Skepi Creole Dutch: can (from inflected form kan)
  • Limburgish: kónne
  • West Flemish: keunn

Further reading

• “cunnan”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

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Old English

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkun.nɑn/

Verb

cunnan

1. to know, to be familiar with

   Iċ wāt þæt hē hīe cann, ac iċ nāt hwanon.

   I know that he knows her, but I don't know from where.

   Iċ nime þone hring, þēah iċ þone weġ ne cunne.

   I will take the ring, though I do not know the way.

   Nān þing nis hefiġre þanne dēad līchama. Atlas self ne cann þæt ġewiht.

   Nothing is heavier than a dead body. Atlas himself knows not the weight.

2. (auxiliary) can, to know how

   Iċ cann ēow lǣran.

   I can teach you.

   Þrēora cynna menn sind: þā þe tellan cunnon and þā þe ne cunnon.

   There are three kinds of people: those who know how to count and those who don't.

Conjugation

Conjugation of cunnan (preterite-present)

infinitive	cunnan	cunnenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	cann	cūþe
second person singular	canst	cūþest
third person singular	cann	cūþe
plural	cunnon	cūþon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	cunne	cūþe
plural	cunnen	cūþen
imperative
singular	cunne
plural	cunnaþ
participle	present	past
	cunnende	(ġe)cunnen

Related terms

• cann

Descendants

• Middle English: cunnen, can, canne, conne, connen, cun, cunne, kanne
  • English: can, con, cun, could, cunning, canny
  • Scots: can, cun, cunning
  • Yola: canna, cou