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† Can v.2. World English Historical Dictionary

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† Can v.2. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. † Can v.2 (pa. tense.) Obs. Also 4 cun, cunne, 4–5 kan, con, conne. [In ME. and early mod.Eng. used for GAN, pa. t. of ginnan to begin: see GIN v. In the early MSS. of Cursor Mundi gan and can constantly interchange, but the evidence shows that can was fully established in northern use early in the 14th c., and its beginnings were evidently in the period before 1300, from which no northern documents survive. It was in its origin a variant of gan, apparently merely phonetic; in later times, when used as a simple auxiliary of tense, its identity with gan tended to be forgotten; it was, from its form and construction, curiously associated with the preceding verb CAN, and this occasionally led to a forgetfulness of its being a past tense, and to the substitution of couth, coud, could, the pa. t. of that verb. Can prevailed in northern and north midland poets till the 16th c., and in the end of that century it was greatly affected by Spenser and his fellow-archaists and followers. Its main function is now filled by did, though the original gan is still a favorite note of ballad poetry.]

1   1.  A verb in the past tense meaning gan, i.e., began, fell, set, proceeded to. Followed by an infinitive with to, it was much less usual than gan.

2 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 13557. Fast þai can [G. gan, F. con T., gon] on him to stare.

3 1423.  James I., Kingis Q., iv. And than how he … In philosophy can him to confort.

4 c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, IV. 98. And so on ane hys eyne he can [ed. 1648 began] to cast.

5   2.  It was usually followed by an infinitive without to, and then approached or passed into a simple auxiliary of the past tense = the modern did.

6 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 758. Þe nedder ner-hand hir gun [G. gan, F. con, T. gon) draw. Ibid., 2009. A neu liuelade cun [G. gan, F. con, T. dud] þai bigin. Ibid., 6390. Moyses on þe roche kan stand. Ibid., 6462. Moses … fourti dais can [G. gan, F. con, T. gon] þer-on duell. Ibid., 12129. Ho! all þan cun [F. con, G. T. gan] þai cri.

7 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 330. Sone to paryss can he ga.

8 c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 11258. Antenor titly con ryse, fferkyt on fote, & to þe fre sayde.

9 c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 128. Þis pore mon toke þis bred and … on his way con passe.

10 c. 1420.  Sir Amadace, liii. The king toke Sir Amadace … And to him conne he say.

11 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, I. viii. 116. Thus saide Ilioneus, and sa can he seis.

12 c. 1570.  Thynne, Pride & Lowl. (1841), 7. And straightly with his armes he can me fold.

13 1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 50. Tho can she weepe [ed. 1679 gan]. Ibid., I. vi. 23. Till to ryper yeares he gan aspire.

14 1602.  Davison, Rhapsody (1611), 37. Then gan his Teares so swiftly for to flow … Then blustring sighes to boistrously can blow.

15   † b.  16th c. Scotch can do = ‘did’ auxiliary.

16 1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VII. vi. 11. As scho fure Doun from the skyis, on fer can do [ed. 1553 gan do] espy. Ibid., VIII. vi. 57. He can do [ed. 1553 gan do] schaw the altaire.

17   ¶ 3.  Erroneous forms couth, coud, could: = ‘did.’ (See above.)

18 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, III. 460. The croune, that Ihesu couth ber.

19 a. 1550.  Christis Kirke Gr., xvi. The carlis with clubbis coud udir quell. Ibid., xxi. Ane bent a bow, sic sturt coud steir him.

20 c. 1450.  Henryson, Mor. Fab., 27 (Bannat. MS. 1568). On euery side full warely could hee wate.

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