Where does “keen” come from?

keen (Yola) comes from Middle English kene, from Old English cēne, from Proto-Germanic kōniz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- — to know.

keen (Yola): sharp

Definitions

  1. sharp

Ancestry of “keen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkenekeen
2Old Englishcēnekeen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful;...
3Proto-Germanickōnizable, knowledgeable, skillful, clever
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵneh₃-to know
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kōniz →Every word from Old English cēne →
keen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer