Where does “cun” come from?
I need to work through this chain carefully, but I notice some problems: 1. The chain shows "Proto-Indo-European ǵen-" appearing three times identically, which seems like an error in the source data 2. "Proto-Indo-European -yeti" appears to be a suffix, not a root 3. Chinese 寸 (cùn, meaning "inch/small unit of length") does not etymologically connect to Old English "cann" 4. The chain doesn't form a coherent linguistic progression Given these inconsistencies, I cannot write an accurate one-sentence summary that honestly represents this chain without inventing connections or leaving out the contradictions. **Could you verify the etymology chain?** Specifically: - Should Chinese 寸 really be the starting point for an English word? - Are the repeated "ǵen-" entries correct? - What is the
cun (English): To know; Alternative form of conn; A traditional...
Definitions
- To know; Alternative form of conn; A traditional...
Ancestry of “cun”, step by step
cun traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English cunnen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cunnen | To know about; To be able to; to have the... |
| 2 | Old English | cunnan | to know, to be familiar with; can, to know how |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kunnan | to recognise; to know how, to be able |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kunnaną | to know, to be familiar with, to recognise; to... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |
via Chinese 寸
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 寸 | — |