English word origin

Etymology of unken

Back-formation from unkenned, equivalent to un- + ken.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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 not know, fail to recognise, be ignorant of.

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

Back-formation from unkenned, equivalent to un- + ken.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Word-formation componentun-en
Word-formation componentkenen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "back-formation",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "unkenned"
      },
      "expansion": "Back-formation from unkenned"
    },
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un-",
        "3": "ken"
      },
      "expansion": "un- + ken"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "unkenned",
      "unkenned#English"
    ],
    [
      "un-",
      "un-#English"
    ],
    [
      "ken",
      "ken#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To not know, fail to recognise, be ignorant of."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland"
      ],
      "recordId": "75bcc813b48689f9c16016305ed87c49f3446bf4da9c038e013fc1fb71397d33",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a6ba4c79b558c4ae900e00201388920ddfe38a3a7b1af5d804ea7be24564d17d",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6336499
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Only used in unken reflex.

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

From German Unke.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionUnkede

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Unke"
      },
      "expansion": "German Unke"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Unke",
      "Unke#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Only used in unken reflex."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "73f9d177e42659095a759a4f8dbff0931fc4627c2e7583701d509ccb70477d4b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1f6a0c95a298f80f92b8b3a507faa74e28150ff36fb6466b0e2d23e6e3419d11",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 6336500
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "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 unken →

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-dW5rZW4