*kunnaną

Reconstruction

The infinitive is *kunnaną in Ringe and Wiktionary,^[1][2] *kunnan in Köbler^[3] and the stem *kunnan- in Kroonen.^[4] Orel heads it by the 3rd singular *kanna,^[5] Seebold by KANN.^[6] Ringe gives the principal parts *kunnaną, *kann, *kunþē, *kunþaz.^[1]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”), through a PIE *ǵn̥néh₃ti;^[2] Kroonen thinks the verb was created to the secondary n-present of this root seen in Sanskrit जानाति (jānáti) and Lithuanian žinóti, 3rd singular *ǵnh₃-néh₂-ti, 3rd plural *ǵnh₃-nh₂-énti.^[7]

Morphology

A preterite-present verb.^[4][1][3] Kroonen explains the geminate from the singular root allomorph of the n-present.^[7] Lehmann reports Seebold's view that the Gothic singular 𐌺𐌰𐌽𐌽 (kann) was formed beside the plural on the pattern of 𐌳𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽𐌽 (dugann), the geminate coming from a following laryngeal.^[8] Mailhammer counts the verb in class III, with an accepted IE etymology.^[9] As with the other preterite-presents, the infinitive has the weak alternant of the stem.^[10] The original past participle survives as the adjective *kunþaz "known".^[1]

Evidence

The verb is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan), Old Norse kunna, Old English cunnan, Old Saxon kunnan and Old High German kunnan, with the same alternation of singular and plural stems in each.^[4] EWA dates the Old High German verb from the 8th century.^[11] Outside Germanic, Kroonen compares Tocharian A knā- (“to know, to understand”), Sanskrit जानाति (jānáti, “knows, recognises”), Lithuanian žinóti (“to know”), Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to know”), Latin nōscō and Old Church Slavonic знати (znati, “to know”).^[4]

Competing analyses

Kroonen takes the preterite-present conjugation as secondary, parallel to that of *unnaną "to grant".^[12] Feist explained the singular 𐌺𐌰𐌽𐌽 (kann) as formed analogically to the plural, on the pattern of 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳 (band), with the plural from an IE *gn-na-mé.^[13] Orel relates the verb to IE *ĝenə- "to know".^[5]

Meanings

1. to know, to be familiar with, to recognise^[4][2][1]
2. to know how, to be able^[4][3][2]

Old Norse also used the verb for "to grant" and "to be angry",^[14] and Old Frisian for "to be skilled in, to master".^[15]

Derivatives

• *kunþaz "known", the original past participle.^[7][1][16]
• *kannijaną "to make known", the causative;^[17][18] Orel's *kannjanan.^[19]
• *kōniz "able, knowledgeable, skilful", a vṛddhi gerundive.^[20][21]
• *kunnāną "to get to know, to test, to experience", with *-āną.^[22]
• *frakunnaną "to despise, to scorn", with *fra-.^[23]
• In Kroonen, *kannōn- "to get to know", an inchoative,^[24] and *kunja- "omen", a ja-stem from the same root.^[4]
• From the same root, but formed differently: *knēaną "to know, to recognise".^[25][26]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan, “to know”)^[13]
• Old Norse: kunna (“to know, to grant, to be able, to be angry”)^[14]
• Old English: cunnan (“to know, to be able”)^[27]
• Old Frisian: kunna (“to be able, to be skilled in”)^[15]
• Old Saxon: kunnan (“can, to know, to understand”)^[28]
• Old Dutch: kunnan (“can, to be able”)^[11]
• Old High German: kunnan (“to know, to be able”)^[11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 291
2. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kunnaną
3. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *kunnan
4. ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 311
5. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *kanna
6. ^ Seebold, Elmar (1970), Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch der germanischen starken Verben, The Hague / Paris: Mouton, p. 289
7. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 312
8. ^ Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. kunnan
9. ^ Mailhammer, Robert (2007), The Germanic Strong Verbs: Foundations and Development of a New System, Trends in Linguistics 183, Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter, p. 219
10. ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1986), Der Aufbau des germanischen Verbalsystems, Heidelberg: Winter
11. ^ a b c Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. kunnan
12. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 560
13. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. kunnan
14. ^ a b de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. kunna
15. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. kunna
16. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kunþaz
17. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kannijaną
18. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 279
19. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *kannjanan I
20. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kōniz
21. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 299
22. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *kunnāną
23. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *frakunnaną
24. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 280
25. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *knēaną
26. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 295
27. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. cunnan
28. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. kunnan