Where does “كان” come from?
كان (Arabic) comes from French Caen, from Proto-Celtic kagyom, from Proto-Indo-European kagʰyóm, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
كان (Arabic): to be; to exist, to be, there be; to behove
Definitions
- to be; to exist, to be, there be; to behove
Ancestry of “كان”, step by step
كان traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French Caen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Caen | — |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | kagyom | pen, enclosure |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰyóm | enclosure, hedge |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via Arabic كَانَ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arabic | كَانَ | to be |
| 2 | Arabic | و | and, "comma", "semi-colon"; a divider of words or... |
| 3 | Persian | یا | API •; or; either |
| 4 | Arabic | يَا | {{m|en|O|id=vocative}} |
via Proto-Semitic *kawan-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Semitic | *kawan- | be |