German word kennen comes from Middle English canne, Proto-Indo-European - -né-, and later Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti (To know, recognize.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| canne | Middle English (enm) | |
| - -né- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *ǵn̥néh₃ti | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | To know, recognize. |
| can | English (en) | (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To be possible, usually with be.. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.. (obsolete, transitive) To know. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee.. To preserve, by heating and sealing in a can or jar.. To shut up.. To discard, scrap or [...] |
| *kunnaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To know how, to be able to. To know, to be familiar with, to recognise. |
| cennan | Old English (ang) | To make known, declare. To produce, bring forth, declare To beget, bear, give birth to. |
| kennan | Old High German (goh) | |
| kennen | German (de) | (transitive) to know; to be acquainted with; to be familiar with. |