Where does “keken” come from?

keken (Middle English) comes from Middle Dutch kiken, from Old Dutch kīkan, from Proto-West Germanic kīkan, from Proto-Germanic kīkaną — to look, peep.

keken (Middle English): to look, peep

Definitions

  1. to look, peep

Ancestry of “keken”, step by step

keken traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Dutch kiken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchkikento look, to direct the eyes
2Old Dutchkīkan
3Proto-West Germanickīkanto look, to peep
4Proto-Germanickīkanąto look, peep

via Middle Low German kîken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germankîkento look, peep
2Old Saxonkīkanto look
3Proto-Germanic*kīkan

via Middle Dutch kieken

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchkieken
Every word from Proto-Germanic kīkanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic kīkanEvery word from Old Dutch kīkan
keken — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer