Where does “can” come from?
can (Scots) comes from Middle English can, from Middle English cunnen, from Old English cunnan, from Proto-West Germanic kunnan, from Proto-Germanic kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- — to know.
can (Scots): can; be able to
Definitions
- can; be able to
Ancestry of “can”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | can | Alternative form of canne |
| 2 | Middle English | cunnen | To know about; To be able to; to have the... |
| 3 | Old English | cunnan | to know, to be familiar with; can, to know how |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kunnan | to recognise; to know how, to be able |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kunnaną | to know, to be familiar with, to recognise; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |