English

can

/kæn/
To know how to.

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    Origin

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English canne, from Old English canne (“glass, container, cup, jar”), from Proto-Germanic *kannǭ (“can, tankard, mug, cup”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishcunnen “to try”
      • inheritedOld Englishcunnan “to know how to, be able to”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*kunnan
          • inheritedProto-Germanic*kunnaną “to know, know how”
            • inheritedProto-Indo-European*ǵneh₃- “to know”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishcanne
      • inheritedOld Englishcanne “glass, container, cup, jar”
        • inheritedProto-Germanic*kannǭ “can, tankard, mug, cup”

    Related: English con (doublet)

    Words built on it: can-do, can't, can house, eat-all-you-can

    Sources