knowen

English

Etymology

From Middle English knowen (“known”), from Old English cnāwen (“known, recognised, perceived”), past participle of cnāwan (“to know, recognise, perceive”). More at know.

Verb

knowen

1. (archaic) past participle of know
   • 1620, King James VI and I, A Meditation Vpon the 27, 28, 29, Verses of the Xxvii. Chapter of St. Matthew. Or a Paterne for a Kings Inauguration:

     […] and it is vulgarly well knowen that thornes signifie stinging and pricking cares.

Anagrams

• knowne

Cornish

Alternative forms

• (Revived Late Cornish) knofen

Etymology

From know +‎ -en.

Noun

knowen f

1. (Revived Middle Cornish) singulative of know (“nuts”)

Middle English

Alternative forms

• knowe

Etymology

From Old English cnāwan (“to know, recognise, perceive”), from Proto-West Germanic *knāan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈknɔu̯ən/

Verb

knowen

1. to know (possess knowledge)
   • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “2 Paralipomenon 6:30”, in Wycliffe's Bible:

     […] þou ſchalt heꝛe fro heuene: þat is fro þin hiȝe dwellyng place and do þou meꝛcy and ȝelde þou to ech man aftir hiſe weies whiche þou knowiſt þat he haþ in his heꝛte for þou aloone knowiſt þe heꝛtis of þe ſones of men

     , then you should hear from heaven, i.e. from your lofty place of residence. Forgive, and treat any individual according to their actions, which you know what their hearts contain, because only you know the hearts of humanity.

   • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xix”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book IX, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC, lines 28-31:

     […] for as to me I ded to hym no displeaſyre / and god knoweth I am ful ſory for hys diſeaſe and malady / Soo when the king had excuſed him / they were frendes […]

     Because about myself, I didn't do any attacks on him, and God knows that I'm totally distressed about his disease and malady. So when the king had excused him (they were friends) […]

Conjugation

Conjugation of knowen (strong class 7)

infinitive	(to) knowen, knowe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	knowe	knew
2nd-person singular	knowest	knewe, knew
3rd-person singular	knoweth	knew
subjunctive singular	knowe	knewe1
imperative singular		—
plural2	knowen, knowe	knewen, knewe
imperative plural	knoweth, knowe	—
participles	knowynge, knowende	knowen, knowe, yknowen, yknowe

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: know
• Geordie English: knaw
• Scots: knaw
• Yola: knouth, know

References

• “knouen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.