Etymologically
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kunnen

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈkʏnə(n)/[1]

Forms

kunnen[1] The form konnen was long used beside kunnen and survives in dialects.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch connen, inherited from Old Dutch kunnan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną.[3][1] The same verb is Old Saxon kunnan, Old High German kunnan (modern German können), Old Frisian kunna, Old English cunnan (modern English can), Old Norse kunna and Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (kunnan), all meaning “to know, be able”.[3][4] It is a preterite-present verb: an old perfect, ⟨kann⟩, ⟨kunnum⟩, “I have come to know”, took on present meaning, and a new infinitive and past tense were formed for it.[3][5]

It comes from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to recognise, know”), the root of Ancient Greek γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō), Latin nōscō (older ⟨gnōscō⟩), Sanskrit जानाति (jānā́ti, “knows”), Lithuanian žinoti and Old Church Slavonic знати (znati).[3][5][6] The Germanic stems *kann- and ⟨*kunn-⟩ go back to the perfect *ǵnóh₃-, with ⟨-nn-⟩ taken from the weak verb that became Old English cunnian (“to try, get to know”) and Old High German chunnēn.[3] The same root gave kennen, kond, kunde and kunst, and English know.[3]

The usual Middle Dutch form was ⟨connen⟩;[3] ⟨cunnen⟩ was eastern and coastal, but in early modern Dutch the infinitive ⟨kunnen⟩ soon became the norm.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first recorded around 1100 in the Willeram, with siu cunnon alle mahtigan wole ueghtan “they can all fight very well”.[3][7] There it also means “to know”: the doctors of the church cunnon thiu sacramenta scripturarum, know the mysteries of Scripture.[8]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch connen meant above all to know, to be familiar with: a woman kan van arzedie, knows medicine (1250), and people die en geen latijn en conen know no Latin (1276–1300).[3][9] As an auxiliary with an infinitive it expressed ability and possibility, as in of mijn kint ghenesen can “whether my child can be healed” (1285).[3]

The sense “to know” has nearly disappeared from the standard language in the north, except of knowledge that enables one to do something, but it is still general in Belgium.[2] The auxiliary came to cover permission, possibility and wishes or curses, as in je kunt de boom in, “you can get lost”.[10][11] As a noun het kunnen means a person's ability.[10]

Dutch kunnen passed into Negerhollands (kan, ka), Berbice Dutch, Sranan Tongo (kan) and Petjo;[12][1] Afrikaans has kan.[12][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch cunnon “they can” appears in the Willeram.[3][8][7]
  • 1200 – Middle Dutch nekunde “could not (speak)” is recorded.[3][9]
  • 1250 – Si kan van arzedie “she knows medicine”.[3][9]
  • 1285 – The auxiliary use for possibility is recorded.[3]
  • 1599 – Kiliaan gives kunnen and konnen.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be able to, can: Zij kan heel goed tekenen.[10][1]
  2. To be allowed to, may: Je kunt nu naar binnen.[1][11]
  3. To be possible: Dat kan niet waar zijn.[10][1]
  4. Expressing a wish or a curse, as in je kunt de boom in.[10]
  5. To be able to do, be capable of: Hij kan het niet alleen.[1]
  6. To be able to go somewhere, or to be free for an appointment: Kun je dinsdag?[1]
  7. (Belgium) To know, be familiar with: Kun jij dat lied?[2][11]

Noun

  1. (het kunnen) Ability, skill.[10]

Word family

  • aankunnen
  • afkunnen
  • alleskunner

Usage notes

Buiten iets kunnen means to be able to do without it, and daar kun je naar fluiten tells someone they will not get what they hope for.[10] The past tense kost, kosten was still used beside kon, konden by many writers into the 19th century, especially in verse.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  4. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  7. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b c Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  11. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)