Where does “cunning” come from?

cunning (Middle English) comes from Middle English cunninde, from Old English cunnende, from Old English cunnan, from Proto-West Germanic kunnan, from Proto-Germanic kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- — to know.

Ancestry of “cunning”, step by step

cunning traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English cunninde

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcunninde—
2Old Englishcunnende—
3Old Englishcunnanto know, to be familiar with; can, to know how
4Proto-West Germanickunnanto recognise; to know how, to be able
5Proto-Germanickunnanąto know, to be familiar with, to recognise; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵneh₃-to know

via Old English cunnung

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcunnungknowledge; trial, probation, experience; contact,...
2Old Englishcunnianto experience, learn to know; to explore, find...
3Proto-West Germanickunnēnto recognise
4Proto-Germanickunnijaną—

via Old English cunning

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcunning—

Words derived from “cunning”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kunnaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic kunnan →