kenna

See also: Kenna

Bavarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰenɐ/
• Hyphenation: ken‧na

Etymology 1

From Middle High German kunnen, from Old High German kunnan, from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan. Cognate with German können, English can, Dutch kan.

Alternative forms

• kinna

Verb

kenna (past participle kenna)

1. (auxiliary) can, to be able to

Conjugation

Conjugation of kenna

infinitive	kenna
past participle	kenna
	present	past	subjunctive
1st person singular	kon, ko, kå	—	kant, kantad, kuntad
2nd person singular	konst, kånnst	—	kanst, kantadst, kuntadst
3rd person singular	kon, ko, kå	—	kant, kantad, kuntad
1st person plural	kennan	—	kantn, kantadn, kuntadn
2nd person plural	kennts	—	kants, kantats, kuntats
3rd person plural	kennan	—	kantn, kantadn, kuntadn
	imperative
singular	-
plural	-

Etymology 2

From Middle High German kennen, from Old High German kennan, from Proto-West Germanic *kannijan (“to know”), from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną (“to know”), a causative form of *kunnaną formed with the suffix *-janą. Cognate with German kennen, Dutch kennen, Scots and English ken (“to know”).

Verb

kenna (past participle kennt)

1. (transitive) to know, to be acquainted with; to be familiar with

   Des Biachl kenn i scho. ― I know this book already.

2. (transitive) to recognize, perceive

   Se häd mi fåst ned kennt mit der neichn Frisur. ― She almost didn't recognize me with my new hairstyle.

Conjugation

Conjugation of kenna

infinitive	kenna
past participle	kennt
	present	past	subjunctive
1st person singular	kenn	—	kennat
2nd person singular	kennst	—	kennadst
3rd person singular	kennt	—	kennat
1st person plural	kennan	—	kennadn
2nd person plural	kennts	—	kennats
3rd person plural	kennan	—	kennadn
	imperative
singular	-
plural	-

Derived terms

• auskenna
• derkenna
• kennalerna

Estonian

Adjective

kenna

1. illative singular of kena

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse kenna, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃʰɛnːa/

  Rhymes: -ɛnːa

Verb

kenna (third person singular past indicative kendi, third person plural past indicative kent, supine kent)

1. to know
2. to feel
3. to teach

Conjugation

Conjugation of kenna (group v-8)

infinitive	kenna
supine	kent
	present	past
first singular	kenni	kendi
second singular	kennir	kendi
third singular	kennir	kendi
plural	kenna	kendu
participle (a7)1	kennandi	kendur
	imperative
singular	kenna!
plural	kennið!

¹Only the past participle being declined.

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse kenna, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈcʰɛnːa/
• Rhymes: -ɛnːa

Verb

kenna (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative kenndi, supine kennt)

1. to teach, to tutor
   • Timothy 2:11-12 (English, Icelandic)

     Konan á að læra í kyrrþey, í allri undirgefni. Ekki leyfi ég konu að kenna eða taka sér vald yfir manninum, heldur á hún að vera kyrrlát.

     A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

2. to instruct

   Synonym: leiðbeina

3. (dated) to ascribe

   Synonym: eigna

4. (archaic, poetic) to know a person

   Synonym: þekkja

5. to feel

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• árinni kennir illur ræðari
• kenna um (“to blame”)
• kenna við (“to be named after”)
• kennari
• kenndur
• kenning
• kennsla

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kannijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti, from *ǵneh₃- (“to know”).

Verb

kenna

1. to know (a person)
2. to feel
3. to teach someone [with dative]

Conjugation

Conjugation of kenna — active (weak class 1)

infinitive	kenna
present participle	kennandi
past participle	kenndr
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	kenni	kennda		kenna	kennda
2nd person singular	kennir	kenndir		kennir	kenndir
3rd person singular	kennir	kenndi		kenni	kenndi
1st person plural	kennum	kenndum		kennim	kenndim
2nd person plural	kennið	kennduð		kennið	kenndið
3rd person plural	kenna	kenndu		kenni	kenndi
imperative	present
2nd person singular	kenn, kenni
1st person plural	kennum
2nd person plural	kennið

Conjugation of kenna — mediopassive (weak class 1)

infinitive	kennask
present participle	kennandisk
past participle	kennzk
	indicative			subjunctive
	present	past		present	past
1st person singular	kennumk	kenndumk		kennumk	kenndumk
2nd person singular	kennisk	kenndisk		kennisk	kenndisk
3rd person singular	kennisk	kenndisk		kennisk	kenndisk
1st person plural	kennumsk	kenndumsk		kennimsk	kenndimsk
2nd person plural	kennizk	kennduzk		kennizk	kenndizk
3rd person plural	kennask	kenndusk		kennisk	kenndisk
imperative	present
2nd person singular	kensk, kennisk
1st person plural	kennumsk
2nd person plural	kennizk

Descendants

• Icelandic: kenna
• Faroese: kenna
• Norn: kenna
• Norwegian Nynorsk: kjenna
  • → Norwegian Bokmål: kjenne
• Elfdalian: kenna
• Old Swedish: kænna
  • Swedish: känna
• Old Danish: kænnæ
  • Danish: kende
  • Scanian: kænða
• Gutnish: känne

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910), “kenna”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive

Scots

Alternative forms

• (Orkney) kenno, kinno, kyinno, tyinno
• kennae

Etymology

ken +‎ -na

Contraction

kenna

1. do not know
   • 1822, John Galt, chapter XCIX, in Sir Andrew Wylie, of that Ilk:

     I kenna how it was, that at the time I didna experience such a sorrow as I should have felt.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

     'Stop!' says he, — 'stop, Laird Heriotside! I kenna what your errand is, but it is to no holy purpose that ye're out on Beltane E'en. D' ye no hear the warring o' the waters?'

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Vilamovian

Etymology

From Middle High German kunnen, from Old High German kunnan, from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan.

Verb

kenna

1. to know (be acquainted or familiar with)

Yakan

Noun

kenna

1. fish

Verb

kenna

1. to fish