können German · revision 34781

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *ǵneh₃-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈkœnən/, [ˈkœnən]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Germany: [ˈkœnn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Austria, Southern-Germany, Switzerland: /ˈkœnɛn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''können''' (preterite-present, third-person singular present kann, past tense konnte, past participle gekonnt or (as an auxiliary verb) können, past subjunctive könnte, auxiliary haben)^(Wiktionary)

+ The past tense was ''kunde'', ''kunte'' (shortened ''kunt'') until the 17th century;^(Paul 2002) Goethe and Heine still use ''kunt'' in rhyme.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|kunnen]] or [[m|gmh|künnen]], [[inh|goh|kunnan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*kunnan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*kunnaną|t=to know, be able]].^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary) It is a preterite-present verb: the present [[m|gem-pro|*kann]] was originally a perfect, which is why the German present is shaped like the past tense of a strong verb such as [[beginnen]].^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB|11, 1719) The same verb is [[got|𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽|tr=kunnan]] (“to know”), [[non|kunna]], [[ang|cunnan]], [[ofs|kunna]] and [[osx|kunnan]], and it survives in [[nl|kunnen]], [[en|can]] and [[sv|kunna]].^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Orel 2003) Besides “to know” it meant “to be able” in all of them.^(Kluge 2011|524)

+

+ It belongs to the root [[ine-pro|*ǵneh₃-|t=to know]], found in [[grc|γιγνώσκω|tr=gignṓskō|t=I recognise]], [[la|nōscō|t=to get to know]], [[lt|žinoti|alt=žinóti|t=to know]] and [[ru|знать|tr=znatʹ|t=to know]].^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Orel 2003) The double ⟨nn⟩ and the full grade of the first syllable are unexpected: one explanation is a nasal present, which is awkward because the Germanic form continues a perfect;^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993) Seebold derives the ⟨nn⟩ from an assimilated /nə/.^(Kluge 2011|524)^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ The umlaut of the infinitive and the present plural first appears in Middle High German, as in the other modal verbs [[mögen]], [[müssen]] and [[dürfen]];^(Wiktionary) Wiktionary interprets it as a marker of plurality like the umlaut of noun plurals.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''kunnan'' is recorded from the 8th century in glosses, then in the ''Carmen ad Deum'', the Merseburg Charms, Otfrid and Notker.^(EWA|5, 888)^(Schützeichel 2012|186) It meant “to know, be acquainted with, understand, master”, and also “to be able, have the possibility”.^(EWA|5, 888)^(Schützeichel 2012|186) The original sense was mental: “to know, understand”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Middle High German the verb was used mainly of knowledge applied to an activity, a learned skill, and so moved towards “to be able”; it took over the function of Middle High German [[m|gmh|mügen]].^(Paul 2002)^(Pfeifer 1993) The old sense of knowing survives in ''auswendig können'' “to know by heart” and in ''eine Sprache können'' “to know a language”.^(Paul 2002) The use with an infinitive (''lesen können'') became usual only gradually in Old High German.^(Paul 2002) When it expresses that no one else's will stands in the way (''das kannst du meinetwegen tun''), it comes close to [[dürfen]].^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The old meaning lives on in the related words [[kennen]] (“to let know”), [[kühn]] (originally “knowing, wise”), [[kund]] (“known”) and [[Kunst]] (originally “knowledge”).^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993) The infinitive used as a noun, ''das Können'' “skill, ability”, is quoted by the Grimms from Logau, Lessing and Goethe.^(DWB|11, 1741) The agent noun [[Könner]] “expert” dates from the 17th century, its feminine ''Könnerin'' from the first half of the 20th.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 8th century – Old High German ''kunnan'' is recorded in glosses.^(EWA|5, 888)

+ * Middle High German period – Used chiefly of learned skills; the umlauted ''künnen'' appears.^(Paul 2002)^(Wiktionary)

+ * 17th century – ''Könner'' is formed; the old past tense ''kunde'' gives way to ''konnte''.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Paul 2002)

+ * First half of the 20th century – ''Könnerin'' appears.^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(modal, with an infinitive)'' To be [[m|en|able]] to do something: ''sie kann gut turnen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(modal)'' To have the [[m|en|possibility]] of doing something because of circumstances or the nature of a thing: ''das Flugzeug kann 300 Passagiere aufnehmen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(modal)'' To have good reason or the right to do something: ''du kannst ohne Sorge sein''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(modal)'' To be possibly the case: ''das kann sein''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(EWA|5, 888)

+ # ''(modal, informal)'' To be [[m|en|allowed]] to, may.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To have learned, to [[m|en|master]]: ''er kann Russisch'', ''das Gedicht auswendig können''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' ''für etwas nichts können'': not to be to [[m|en|blame]] for something.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To still have the strength: ''kannst du noch?''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Könner]]

+ * [[Könnerin]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[kennen]]

+ * [[kühn]]

+ * [[kund]]

+ * [[Kunst]]

+ * [[en|can]]

+ * [[en|know]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}