Where does “kenning” come from?
kenning (Middle English) comes from Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan, from Proto-West Germanic kannjan, from Proto-Germanic kanjaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵonh₁éyeti, from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- — to produce, to beget, to give birth.
Ancestry of “kenning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kennen | to make known |
| 2 | Old English | cennan | to make known, declare; to produce, bring forth,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kannjan | to beget, bring forth |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kanjaną | to beget, bring forth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵonh₁éyeti | to bring forth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |