English word origin

Etymology of kan

Borrowed from Japanese 貫 (kan).

3 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary 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 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A Japanese unit of weight, approximately 3.75 kg or 8.267 lb.

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

Borrowed from Japanese 貫 (kan).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention貫ja

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "貫",
        "tr": "kan"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 貫 (kan)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "貫",
      "貫#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A Japanese unit of weight, approximately 3.75 kg or 8.267 lb."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "e151ea2d5e74462f62045800462c2786c7ccc54a92ce3218ab5a2c8377093ccf",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1dbe9b4a3fdceb2b08070493d22bce1234d7d0f37ec6d1247ec5c8ead4530e48",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 305729
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A catty, legally defined as 0.60478982 kilograms.

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

Borrowed from Cantonese 斤 (gan¹).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention斤yue

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yue",
        "3": "斤"
      },
      "expansion": "Cantonese 斤 (gan¹)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "斤",
      "斤#Cantonese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A catty, legally defined as 0.60478982 kilograms."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Hong-Kong"
      ],
      "recordId": "7eae8c0942e1f18cae0c1368e2933223de41a744b3b94d0169286cebe3d44db0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fca802fb410fde4e96c5c134467cef17ca89aecc348aa11a1b85e8fc90aee10a",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

A set of four identical tiles. · A call declaring the formation of such a set.

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

Borrowed from Japanese 槓 (kan).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mention槓ja

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "槓",
        "tr": "kan"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 槓 (kan)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "槓",
      "槓#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A set of four identical tiles.",
        "A call declaring the formation of such a set."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Japanese"
      ],
      "recordId": "c1f652fc2eec53531ea8fd894f659942a0046316612fd129c259f720216cafd7",
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    }
  ],
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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 kan →

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-a2Fu