Ken v.1. World English Historical Dictionary

Ken v.1. 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. 1901, rev. 2025. Ken v.1 Forms: 1 cennan, (cænnan), 3–4 kennen, (5 -yn), (3–5 kene, 3 cene, 5 keen), 3–7 kenne, 3– ken, (3, 8 kenn, 5 kyn). Pa. t. 3–5 kende, 3– kenned(e, kenn’d, kend; 9 Sc. kent. [Com. Teut.: OE. cęnnan (cęnde, cęnned) = Fris. kanna, kenna, OS. (ant)kennian (MDu. and Du. kennen), OHG. (ir-, in-, pi-) chennan (MHG. and G. kennen), ON. kenna (Sw. känna, Da. kjende, kende), Goth. kannjan, factitive of the preterite-pres. *kann-, I know: see CAN v.1

1   The form is properly causative ‘to cause to know,’ ‘to make known,’ and was restricted to this use in Goth. and OE. At an early period, however, in all the Teutonic tongues, the verb also acquired the sense ‘to know.’ In Eng. this may have been taken from Norse, in which both senses were in early use. In mod. Eng. ken is only archaic (in sense 6) and has its pa. t. and pa. pple. kenned (cf. pen, penned); in Sc. (where it has entirely displaced knaw ‘to know’) the pa. t. and pple. are now kent; south Sc. kend.]

2   I.  In causative senses. (All Obs.)

3   † 1.  trans. To make known, declare, confess, acknowledge. Obs.

4 Beowulf, 1219 (Z.). Cen þec mid cræfte & þyssum cnyhtum wes lara liðe.

5 c. 975.  Laws K. Edgar, IV. § 10. Gif he þonne cenð [§ 11 cænne] þæt he hit mid ʓewitnysse bohte.

6 c. 1000.  Ags. Ps. (Th.), cvii[i.] 8. Ic me to cyninge cenne Iudas … ic Idumea ealle cenne.

7 c. 1205.  Lay., 6639. Ne der ich noht kennen … þat ich her king weore.

8   † 2.  To make known, to impart the knowledge of (a thing). Usually with dat. of person (or to): To make a thing known to one; to teach one something. Obs.

9 a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 1347. & tat we kennið þe wel … þat we leaueð þi lahe.

10 c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 216. A fruit, ðe kenned wel and wo.

11 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 3644. I sal þe ken ful gode a gin.

12 a. 1352.  Minot, Poems, vii. 34. Calais men, now may ze care … Sir Edward shall ken zow zowre crede.

13 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 90. Clerkes þat knowen hit scholde techen [v.r. kenne] hit aboute.

14 c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., VI. ii. 114. Thir Papys war gud haly men, And oysyd the trowth to folk to ken.

15 c. 1430.  Christ’s Compl., 508, in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 199. Y loued not hem þat me good kende.

16   † b.  with clause expressing what is made known or taught, the dat. of the person being later taken as direct obj., and so as subject of passive. Obs.

17 a. 1225.  St. Marher., 16. Cuð me ant ken me hwi þe worldes weldent wunieð in þe.

18 1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. I. 136. Ȝet mote ye kenne me better, By what craft in my corps it comseth. Ibid., XV. 156. Clerkis kenne me þat cryst is in alle places.

19 a. 1500[?].  Chester Pl., vii. 356. Why … the ayre is so cleare, now shall we be kent.

20   † c.  To ken thank: to make known or express thanks: = CAN v.1 10, CON v.1 4. Obs.

21 c. 1440.  Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), III. viii. Sothly he wyll kenne the more thanke for thy meke wesshynge of his fete.

22 1561.  T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer (1577), R viij a. Least … he ken them the lesse thanke for doing al things contrarily.

23 1567.  Edwards, Damon & Pythias, in Hazl., Dodsley, IV. 61. All right courtiers will ken me thank.

24   † 3.  To direct, teach or instruct (a person). Obs.

25 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 2694 (Cott.). Abram … did als drightin can him ken [Trin. as god him hadde tauȝt].

26 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 482. Al þat ware honeste men Ȝarnit he suld þare barnis ken.

27 c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 5663. Þen folowet all the flete … Euyn kepyn hor course, as þai kend were.

28 c. 1440.  Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), I. lxxii. I … am enformed & kenned in all thynges.

29 1523.  Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 824. Arrectyng my prayer to Mynerve … me to inform and ken.

30   † b.  with inf. compl.: To teach one, show one how to do something. Obs.

31 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7363. I sal þe ken To knau him a-mang oþer men.

32 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 4. Kenne me bi somme crafte to knowe þe fals.

33 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, X. 544. I vndirtak … For to ken ȝow to clym the wall.

34 a. 1529.  Skelton, P. Sparowe, 970. Now Phebus me ken To sharpe my pen.

35   † c.  absol. To give instruction or directions.

36 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 663. Parys dide as Venus kende.

37 1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. V. 40. Thanne reson rod forth … And dude as conscience kenned.

38   † 4.  To direct, guide, show the way to (unto, till) a place or person. Obs.

39 c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 45. He is cleped king, for þat he kenneð eure to rihte.

40 c. 1325.  Metr. Hom., 50. I openly Ken you till him of quaim I spek.

41 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 104. I schal kenne þe to my Cosyn þat Clergye is I-hoten.

42 c. 1440.  York Myst., xxxiv. 350. If anye aske aftir vs Kenne thame to Caluarie.

43 c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, V. 414. A trew Scot … kend thaim to that place.

44 c. 1560.  A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), xxxvi. 55. I sall thame ken to consolatioun.

45   † b.  intr. and refl. To direct one’s course, betake oneself, proceed, go. Obs.

46 c. 1205.  Lay., 26467. Ȝif æuer aie is swa kene … þat us after kenne, ich hine wulle aquelle.

47 1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), App. xx. 482. Þe kyng to yrlonde wende In þe monþe of octobre, and seþþe in may hom kende.

48 c. 1305.  St. Christopher, 212, in E. E. P. (1862), 65. Ouer Cristofre an arewe heng: þat toward þe king kende.

49 c. 1320.  Sir Beues, 334 (MS. A.). Toward his court he him kende [v.r. went anoon].

50   † 5.  trans. To consign, commend, deliver, bestow. Obs.

51 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1584 (Gött.). Al mankind forsoth he wend, To his will all suld be kend. Ibid. (c. 1340), 8840 (Fairf.). Ne ware þai neuer þeiþen dispende Til þai ware til Iudas kende.

52 13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2067. Þis kastel to kryst I kenne, He gef hit ay god chaunce!

53 a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 5383. With þat scho kende him a croun clustrid with gemmes.

54 c. 1440.  Bone Flor., 1566. To Florence they can hur kenne, To lerne hur to behave hur among men.

55   II.  In non-causative senses.

56   6.  To descry, see; to catch sight of, discover by sight; to look at, scan. Now only arch.

57 c. 1205.  Lay., 1659. Þa Goffar þe king þane castel kennede … swiðe wa him was.

58 a. 1300.  Body & Soul, 109. Thine eiȝene are blinde and connen nouȝt kenne.

59 a. 1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4703. Takens sal be in þe son and in þe mone, And in þe sternes þat in heven men may ken.

60 c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 587. In a feld of siluer … Of a kynde colour thre coddis I kend.

61 1593.  Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 101. As farre as I could ken thy Chalky Cliffes … I stood vpon the Hatches in the storme.

62 1652–62.  Heylin, Cosmogr., Introd. (1682), 19. So great a space of the earth, as a quick sight can ken in an open field.

63 1671.  Milton, P. R., II. 286. To ken the prospect round, If cottage were in view.

64 1768.  Beattie, Minstr., I. xx. And now he faintly kens the bounding fawn, And villager abroad at early toil.

65 1805.  Wordsw., Waggoner, III. 67. Indistinctly may be kenned The vanguard, following close behind.

66 1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, xxxiii. Unable to ken the course of the bird of Jove.

67 1880.  W. Watson, Prince’s Quest (1892), 75. And far below him … a city exceeding fair to ken.

68   b.  absol. To see, look. Obs. or arch.

69 1577.  Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1650), 166. Some watched diligently, kenning from towers, casements and high places.

70 1598.  Grenewey, Tacitus, Ann., III. i. (1622), 63. Places, from whence a man might farthest kenne.

71 1652.  Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 374. Spaces distant from them as far as a man may ken.

72 1755.  Young, Centaur, iii. Wks. 1757, IV. 186. Not the keenest discernment can ken through the second of a minute.

73   7.  To recognize (at sight, or by some marks or tokens); to identify. Now north. or Sc.

74 c. 1205.  Lay., 21443. Nu þu scalt to hælle, þer þu miht kenne muche of þine cunne.

75 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1152. Bituix quat lede sum þat þou lend, Euer sal þou and þine bi kend.

76 c. 1450.  Merlin, 45. ‘Sirs,’ seide the kynge, ‘yef ye myght se Merlin, cowde ye hym knowen?’ ‘Sire,’ seide thei, ‘it myght not be but that we sholde hym kenne wele, yef we myght him se.’

77 1596.  Spenser, F. Q., IV. x. 14. Me whenas he had privily espide Bearing the shield … He kend it streight.

78 1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 63. To ken the lione be his taes.

79 1606.  Shaks., Tr. & Cr., IV. v. 14. ’Tis he, I ken the manner of his gate, He rises on the toe.

80 a. 1661.  Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 506. King James, who did ken a man of merit as well as any prince in Christendom.

81 1800.  Coleridge, Christabel, II. 446. He kenn’d In the beautiful lady the child of his friend!

82 1809.  Malkin, Gil Blas, II. iii. ¶ 1. He kenned me in a twinkling, though I had changed my dress.

83 Mod. Sc.  Ye ’re grown that big, I hardly kent ye.

84   b.  To (be able to) distinguish (one person or thing from another). Now Sc.

85 c. 1340.  Cursor M., 23116 (Trin.). Fro comynynge of cristen men Þo careful shul be eþ to ken.

86 c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3911. The ton fro þe tother was tore for to ken In sight at þat sodan.

87 1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Sept., 42. The shepheards swayne you cannot wel ken, But it be by his pryde, from other men.

88 Mod. Sc.  They ’re that like, I never ken the tane frae the tither.

89   † 8.  To recognize, acknowledge, admit to be (genuine, valid, or what is claimed). Obs.

90 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, III. 750. And thai as lord suld … him ken.

91 c. 1400.  Apol. Loll., 77. Now new lawis kennyn prescripcoun, þat if ani be in posessioun of oþer mennis þingis by a cercle of ȝeris, he schal ioi it as his oune.

92 c. 1400.  in Neilson, Trial by Combat (1890), 229. Schir, kenys thow this is thi sele and thine appele?

93 c. 1450.  St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 5196. His mysse þat he moght ken.

94   b.  Sc. Law. To recognize (a person) as legal heir or successor to an estate; usually, to serve a widow to a life-rent of the third part of her deceased husband’s lands.

95 1468.  Burgh Rec. Aberdeen, 20 March (Spalding Cl.), I. 28. Askande him to be kende to the saide lande as air til his fadir.

96 c. 1575.  Balfour’s Practicks (1754), 106. Ane lady havand the tierce of ony landis … the schiref of the schire sould ken hir to hir thrid part thairof.

97 1754.  Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law, II. Tit. ix. § 29. She … cannot remove tenants, till the Sheriff kens her to her terce.

98 1808.  Jamieson, To ken a widow to her terce,… a phrase still used in our courts of law.

99   † 9.  To get to know, ascertain, find out. Obs.

100 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 270. Clerkis and lewed men suld … trie þe soth and ken, in whom þe wrong lay.

101 c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 1452. What myschefe befell, þere no cause was to ken but vnkynd wordes.

102 1450–70.  Golagros & Gaw., 1325. Sa that the caus may be kend and knawin throw skill.

103 1586.  Warner, Alb. Eng., I. vi. 23. Calde … To ken of whence and where they would.

104   10.  To know (a person); to have acquaintance with; to be acquainted with. Now Sc.

105 1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 327. That he wald trawaile our the se … And dre myscheiff quhar nane hym kend.

106 c. 1420.  Sir Amadace, ii. Sithun duelle here, quere I was borne … And I am so wele kennit.

107 c. 1450.  Merlin, 72. He mette with a man that he nothinge kenned.

108 a. 1568.  Peebles to the Play, iii. Than spak hir fallowis, that hir kend, Be still, my joy, and greit not.

109 1597.  Montgomerie, Sonn., xxvi. In Cupids court ȝe knau I haif bene kend.

110 1606.  Holland, Sueton., Annot. 14. Al while that I you kenned not, I cald you L[ord] & King.

111 1820.  Scott, Monast., ix. I have kend every wench in the Halidome of St. Mary’s.

112 Mod. Sc.  ‘Everybodie kens Watty the Post.’ Is there oniebodie ye ken here?

113   11.  To know (a thing); to have knowledge of or about (a thing, place, person, etc.), to be acquainted with; † to understand. Now chiefly Sc.

114 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 12148 (Gött.). I kene wele þat ilk siquar Quen þat ȝu ȝur moderis bare.

115 c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 78. Symple men Þat strange Inglis can not ken.

116 c. 1418.  Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 243. I have wel lever No more kyn than my a, b, c.

117 c. 1430.  Christ’s Compl., 489, in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 198. Þouȝ y cowþe al kunnynge ken.

118 1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Feb., 85. I wote thou kenst little good, So vainely t’aduaunce thy headlesse hood.

119 1584.  Peele, Arraignm. Paris, I. iv. That kens the painted paths of pleasant Ida.

120 a. 1661.  Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 281. He did ken the ambassador-craft as well as any in his age.

121 1702.  C. Mather, Magn. Chr., II. App. (1852), 218. Any governour that kens Hobbianism.

122 1827.  Coleridge, Sibyl. Leaves, Poems II. 300. Yet well I ken the banks where amaranths blow.

123 1879.  J. Armstrong, Kielder Hunt (in Northumbld. Gloss.). He kens the hauds on Tosson hills, he kens the holes at Rae.

124   b.  To know, understand or perceive (a fact, etc.); to be aware of, to be aware that (what, etc.). Now chiefly Sc.

125 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 6418. Quils moyses heild vp his hend It was wel in þat bateil kend.

126 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul), 375. Ȝe suld wele ken, Þat here slane has bene mony men.

127 c. 1400.  Sowdone Bab., 799. Litill kennyth he what I may doo.

128 1567.  Satir. Poems Reform., iii. 137. I ken rycht weill ȝe knaw ȝour dewtie.

129 a. 1634.  Randolph, Poems, Eglogue Assemblies Cotswold (1638), 115. Dost thou ken, Collen, what the cause might be Of such a dull and generall Lethargie?

130 1714.  Gay, Sheph. Week, III. 89. Now plain I ken whence Love his Rise begun.

131 1844.  Dickens, Christmas Carol, iii. (Househ. ed.), 23/1. Little kenned the lamp-lighter that he had any company but Christmas.

132 1865.  G. Macdonald, A. Forbes, I. xii. 90. I dinna ken what ye mean, Alec.

133   c.  With compl. (Chiefly in pass.) Now Sc.

134 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 6715 (Cott.). If his lauerd kenne him kene of horn. Ibid. (c. 1300), 25151 (Cott. Galba). For goddes sun may he noght be kend.

135 c. 1400.  Melayne, 1437. Ȝitt are we ten thowsande here … Þat wele for kene are kende.

136 1721.  Ramsay, Addr. Town Counc. Edin., iii. To you, ne’er kend to guide ill … My case I plainly tell.

137 1829.  Hogg, Sheph. Cal., I. 232. Ye’re kenn’d for an auld-farrant man.

138 1869.  C. Gibbon, R. Gray, iii. Ivan Carrack was ay kenned to be ready tae flee in the face o’ Providence.

139   12.  a. intr. or absol. To have knowledge (of or about something). † Also with inf.: To know how to, to be able to (obs.).

140 13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., C. 357. Þenne he cryed so cler, þat kenne myȝt alle.

141 c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 1583. Of all þe craftes to ken as þere course askit.

142 1508.  Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 454. No creatur kennis of our doingis.

143 1659.  T. Pecke, Parnassi Puerp., 3. If he be happy that can Causes scan, You ken to plead our Causes.

144 1721.  Ramsay, Prospect of Plenty, i. A lairdship wide, That yields mair plenty than he kens to guide.

145 1816.  Scott, Old Mort., xxxix. It was his father then ye kent o’.

146   † b.  refl. To have skill; to be accomplished in. (= F. se connaître en.) Obs. rare.

147 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 202. He kennede him in heore craft and kneuȝ mony gummes.

148 c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 703. The Boytour callit was cuke, that him weile kend In craftis of the ketchyne.

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