Where does “underknown” come from?
underknown (English) comes from English known, from Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwan, from Proto-West Germanic knāan, from Proto-Germanic knēaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- — to know.
underknown (English): Not known widely enough; of inadequate fame
Definitions
- Not known widely enough; of inadequate fame
Ancestry of “underknown”, step by step
underknown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English known
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | known | Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned;... |
| 2 | Middle English | knowen | to know |
| 3 | Old English | cnāwan | to know, perceive, recognise; to know, recognise,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | knāan | to recognise, to know |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | knēaną | to know, recognise, understand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |