Where does “unken” come from?

unken (English) comes from German unke, from Middle High German unc, from Old High German unc, from Proto-West Germanic *unk.

unken (English): To not know, fail to recognise, be ignorant of;...

Definitions

  1. To not know, fail to recognise, be ignorant of;...

Ancestry of “unken”, step by step

unken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German unke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanunkefire-bellied toad (genus Bombina)
2Middle High Germanunca snake, a serpent, a basilisk
3Old High Germanuncsnake; toad
4Proto-West Germanic*unk—

via English unkenned

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishunkennedUnknown
2EnglishunOne
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *unk →Every word from Old High German unc →Every word from Middle High German unc →