Where does “known” come from?
Known comes from Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwan, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃-, a root meaning to know or recognize.
known (English): Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned;...
Definitions
- Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned;...
Ancestry of “known”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | knowen | to know |
| 2 | Old English | cnāwan | to know, perceive, recognise; to know, recognise,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | knāan | to recognise, to know |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | knēaną | to know, recognise, understand |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |
Words derived from “known”