entry
can
/ˈkæn/Auxiliary verb meaning be able to; know how to.
From O.English / Proto-Germanic cunn (to know).
from PIE root *gno- "to know." It holds now only the third sense of "know," that of "know how to do something" (as...
from Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan "be mentally able, have learned" (source also of Old Norse kenna "become acquainted,...
Word Ancestry
from PIE root *gno- "to know." It holds now only the third sense of "know," that of "know how to do something" (as...
from Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan "be mentally able, have learned" (source also of Old Norse kenna "become acquainted,...
Some of the smallest words in English have the longest memories. This little helper started out as Old English cunnan, a verb about knowledge and skill — not abstract facts, but the practical kind, the sort you need to thread a needle or survive a winter. That’s why it sits beside cousin words like could, couth, uncouth, and even cunning: the family tree is full of people who either know their business or don’t. The trail runs back through Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan to the very old PIE root *gno-, the same ancient backbone that gave Latin cognoscere and Greek forms of knowing. So every time you say “I can,” you’re using a fossilized fragment of an old boast: not just “I exist,” but “I know how.”
The Story
Some of the smallest words in English have the longest memories. This little helper started out as Old English cunnan, a verb about knowledge and skill — not abstract facts, but the practical kind, the sort you need to thread a needle or survive a winter. That’s why it sits beside cousin words like could, couth, uncouth, and even cunning: the family tree is full of people who either know their business or don’t. The trail runs back through Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan to the very old PIE root *gno-, the same ancient backbone that gave Latin cognoscere and Greek forms of knowing. So every time you say “I can,” you’re using a fossilized fragment of an old boast: not just “I exist,” but “I know how.”
Modern Usage
Informally, a toilet; a jail cell; buttocks; to dismiss or fire; or a weak opponent.
Popularized by: English and American slang, later amplified by urban slang usage
Notable References
- visit the can
- throw someone in the can
- fight cans
Kin & Kindred
From 'cunn'·to know, be able, be familiar with
Derived Terms
English words from this root