English word origin

Etymology of cun

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To know.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti Proto-Germanic *kunnaną Proto-West Germanic *kunnan Old English cunnan Middle English cunnen English cun From Middle English cunnen, connen, from Old English cunnan (“to know, know how (to)”), from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to know”). Doublet of con.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentioncunnenenm
Inherited-form mentioncunnanang
Inherited-form mention*kunnanągem-pro

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cunnen",
        "id": "to know",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-\nProto-Indo-European *-né-\nProto-Indo-European *-ti\nProto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti\nProto-Germanic *kunnaną\nProto-West Germanic *kunnan\nOld English cunnan\nMiddle English cunnen\nEnglish cun\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kunnaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kunnan\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"cunnan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"cunnen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"cun\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"to know\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"cun\" id=\"English:_to_know\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cunnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cunnen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cunnan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to know, know how (to)"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cunnan (“to know, know how (to)”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kunnaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to know"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to know”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cunnen",
        "id": "to know",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-\nProto-Indo-European *-né-\nProto-Indo-European *-ti\nProto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti\nProto-Germanic *kunnaną\nProto-West Germanic *kunnan\nOld English cunnan\nMiddle English cunnen\nEnglish cun"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ǵneh₃-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ǵneh₃-#Proto-Indo-European:_know"
    ],
    [
      "*-né-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-né-#Proto-Indo-European:_nasal_infix"
    ],
    [
      "*-ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ti#Proto-Indo-European:_verb"
    ],
    [
      "*ǵn̥néh₃ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ǵn̥néh₃ti#Proto-Indo-European:_to_know"
    ],
    [
      "*kunnaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kunnaną#Proto-Germanic:_to_know"
    ],
    [
      "*kunnan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kunnan#Proto-West_Germanic:_know"
    ],
    [
      "cunnan",
      "cunnan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "cunnen",
      "cunnen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "cunnen",
      "cunnen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "connen",
      "connen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "cunnan",
      "cunnan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*kunnaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kunnaną"
    ],
    [
      "con",
      "con#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To know."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "37cf398b595efcea21260d0818c58212c3e1fb0e74b5a3c3fa26453215ba3098",
      "rawRecordSha256": "70ed93e6092b86e14f7cd5c55201dbec8dca870518b6a107444df8fe0392228c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 861455
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

Alternative form of conn (“direct or steer a ship”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See conn, cond.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "conn",
      "conn#English"
    ],
    [
      "cond",
      "cond#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of conn (“direct or steer a ship”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "fe73fc57adb484a8ded07c4aa2e45c400fcedfde191fc5036ca5d19acd1c94cf",
      "rawRecordSha256": "56a4f6ed8ab6d9d65b26639b2785db032850c75440e3d3a005eafdb246e28de3",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 861456
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}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A traditional Chinese unit of length, originally the width of a person's thumb at the knuckle.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Chinese 寸 (cùn). Doublet of sun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention寸zh
Doublet mentionsunen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "寸"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 寸 (cùn)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sun"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of sun"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "寸",
      "寸#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "sun",
      "sun#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A traditional Chinese unit of length, originally the width of a person's thumb at the knuckle."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "27e4e670a5a06f8abfd12e0ed530fb7096a670b1badc76d1b04a07657ef1d7a2",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 861457
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cun →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y3Vu