ken

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ken"

Languages (42)

Translingual • English

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Translingual

Symbol

ken

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Kenyang.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Kenyang terms

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/
• (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /kɪn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Homophones: Ken; kin (pin–pen merger)

Etymology 1

From Middle English kennen (“to give birth, conceive, generate, beget; to develop (as a fetus), hatch out (of eggs); to sustain, nourish, nurture”), from Old English cennan (“to give birth, conceive, generate, beget”), from Proto-West Germanic *kannjan, from Proto-Germanic *kanjaną.

Verb

ken (third-person singular simple present kens, present participle kenning, simple past and past participle kenned)

1. (obsolete) To give birth, conceive, beget, be born; to develop (as a fetus); to nourish, sustain (as life).
   • 1524, Desiderius Erasmus, translated by Margaret Roper, A Devout Treatise upon the Paternoster:

     To the soul this ghostly bread is the learning and the teaching and the understanding in the commandments of God, wherethrough the soul is kenned and lives.

Etymology 2

Northern English dialects and Scots language from Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan (“make known, declare, acknowledge”) originally “to make known”, causative of cunnan (“to become acquainted with, to know”), from Proto-West Germanic *kannijan, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną, causative of *kunnaną (“be able”), from which comes the verb can.

Cognate with West Frisian kenne (“to know; recognise”), Dutch kennen (“to know”), German kennen (“to know, be acquainted with someone/something”), Norwegian Bokmål kjenne, Norwegian Nynorsk kjenna, Old Norse kenna (“to know, perceive”), Swedish känna (“to know, feel”), Danish kende (“to know”). See also: can, con.

Verb

ken (third-person singular simple present kens, present participle kenning, simple past and past participle kenned or kent)

2. (transitive, chiefly Scotland) To know, perceive or understand.
   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

     It was noted by them that kenned best that her cantrips were at their worst when the tides in the Sker Bay ebbed between the hours of twelve and one.

   • 1993, Mike Leigh, Naked (motion picture):

     Johnny: Is your name Maggie? / Maggie: How'd you ken that? / Johnny: It's just a hunch. Are you looking for the, uh, petulant dwarf?

   • 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 6:

     Ah thought he wis being harsh, flippant and show-oafy, until ah got sae far in. Now ah ken precisely what the cunt meant.

3. (obsolete, chiefly Scotland) To discover by sight; to catch sight of; to descry.
   • c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v], line 14:

     'Tis he. I ken the manner of his gate, / He riſes on the toe:

   • 1662, Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Dialogue 2:

     I proposed to the Mariners, that it would be of great benefit in Navigation to make use of [the telescope] upon the round-top of a ship, to discover and kenne Vessels afar off.

   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 60:

     We ken them from afar.

Derived terms

• beken
• foreken
• kenned
• kenner
• kenning
• kenspecked
• misken
• miskenning
• outken
• underken
• unken
• unkenned
• unkenning

Related terms

• can
• con

Translations

to know, perceive or understand

• Dutch: kennen (nl)
• German: kennen (de)
• Italian: comprendere (it), capire (it), intendere (it)
• Low German:

  German Low German: kennen (nds)

• Polish: wiedzieć (pl) impf
• Russian: знать (ru) (znatʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: shvaćati, znati (sh), spoznati (sh)
• Spanish: conocer (es)

Etymology 3

From a nautical abbreviation of Middle English kenning, present participle of the verb kennen (“to make known, point out, reveal; to direct, instruct, teach; to know, perceive”).

Noun

ken (uncountable)

1. Range of perception.
   • 1909, Joseph Conrad, The Secret Sharer Chapter 1:

     I had somehow the impression that he was on the point of letting go the ladder to swim away beyond my ken.

2. Knowledge, perception, or sight.
   • 1642 (indicated as 1641), John Milton, “That Church-governement is Prescrib’d in the Gospell, and that to Say Otherwise is Unsound”, in The Reason of Church-governement Urg’d against Prelaty […], London: […] E[dward] G[riffin] for Iohn Rothwell, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 4:

     So far is it from the kenne of theſe wretched projectors of ours that beſcraull their Pamflets every day with new formes of government for our Church.

   • 1913, Louise Jopling, Poems:

     Within our ken / The Nightingale—ah! Love, the Nightingale! / Her tender sweetness made our cheeks grow pale,

   • 1957, United States Congressional serial set, number 11976:

     These people, these 20 or 25, were in my ken. Senator Jenner. In his what? Mr. Greenglass. My ken, my line of vision, my knowledge.

   • 1977, Roulhac Toledano, Sally Kittredge Evans, The Esplanade Ridge:

     On this occasion, I wrote to them: "Two more modest and deserving people than you are not in our ken; and it is but fitting that you receive this, preservation's most prestigious prize, for your selfless devotion to the cause through the years.

   • 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:

     Though he was out in the streets and away from the Firm and the Firm's ken, though he had work to do and action to relieve him, he was angry.

   • 1999, Catherine Z. Elgin, Considered Judgment:

     Since nothing in our ken differentiates knowledge from luck, something beyond our ken is introduced to do so. But the conviction that we know something is small comfort when coupled with the realization that we cannot tell what.

   • 2012, Keith McCarthy, Nor All Your Tears:

     I couldn't see the funny side myself, but Tristan could; after a while he could hardly control his merriment, in fact, so that he collapsed back on the bed, continuing to chortle, more of his rather unpleasant teeth making an unwelcome appearance in my ken.

   • 2015, Brian Bates, The Real Middle Earth:

     It was an intelligence beyond human ken but integral to everything, perhaps most like the Great Tao of Eastern philosophy of the same period, and it flowed like a European form of Chinese chi.

3. (nautical) Range of sight.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 59-60:

     At once as far as Angels kenn he views / The dismal Situation waste and wilde […]

Usage notes

In common usage a fossil word, found only in phrases such as beyond one’s ken and swim into one’s ken.

Coordinate terms

• (nautical range of sight): offing

Derived terms

• kenlore
• kennetic

Translations

knowledge or perception

• Esperanto: scio
• Georgian: ცოდნა (ka) (codna)
• Polish: percepcja (pl) f, zrozumienie (pl) n
• Russian: кругозо́р (ru) m (krugozór)
• Serbo-Croatian: vidokrug (sh), shvaćanje

range of sight

• Finnish: näkyvyys (fi)
• Polish: widok (pl) m

References

• Frank Graham, editor (1987), “KEN”, in The New Geordie Dictionary, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing, →ISBN.
• Northumberland Words, English Dialect Society, R. Oliver Heslop, 1893–4
• “Ken”, in Palgrave’s Word List: Durham & Tyneside Dialect Group‎^[3], archived from the original on 5 September 2024, from F[rancis] M[ilnes] T[emple] Palgrave, A List of Words and Phrases in Everyday Use by the Natives of Hetton-le-Hole in the County of Durham […] (Publications of the English Dialect Society; 74), London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press, 1896, →OCLC.
• Todd's Geordie Words and Phrases, George Todd, Newcastle, 1977[4]
• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “ken”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.

Etymology 4

Of unknown origin. Perhaps from kennel.

Alternative forms

• kene (obsolete)

Noun

ken (plural kens)

1. (slang, UK, regional, thieves' cant) A house, especially a den of thieves.
   • 1611, Thomas Middleton, “The Roaring Girl”, in Arthur Henry Bullen, editor, The Works of Thomas Middleton‎^[5], volume 4, published 1885, act 5, scene 1, pages 128–129:

     Ben mort, shall you and I heave a bough, mill a ken, or nip a bung, and then we'll couch a hogshead under the ruffmans, and there you shall wap with me, and I'll niggle with you.

   • 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 383:

     Ah, Bess, my covess, strike me blind if my sees don't tout your bingo muns in spite of the darkmans. Egad, you carry a bene blink aloft. Come to the ken alone—no! my blowen; did not I tell you I should bring a pater cove, to chop up the whiners for Dawson?

   • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, volume 1, page 351:

     Up she goes to any likely ken, where she knows there are women that are married or expect to get married, and commences begging.

Derived terms

• boozing ken (“pub”)
• bousing ken (“pub”)
• dossing-ken
• dunniken (“outhouse”)
• dunny-ken
• flatty-ken
• gentry cove's ken
• grubbing ken
• padding-ken
• queer ken (“prison”)
• stauling-ken
• wapping ken (“brothel”)

Etymology 5

From Hebrew קֵן (qēn, “nest”).

Noun

ken (plural kenim)

1. (Judaism) Youth or children's group.
   • 2016 January 15, Dan Pine, “Hike, swim, fix the world: Kids mix it up at Gilboa camp”, in The Jewish News of Northern California‎^[6], archived from the original on 23 August 2026:

     Gilboa and Habonim Dror also run year-round programming, holding regional reunions (called kenim) up and down the state

   • 2018 October 6, Meital Shapiro, “What It's Like to Be a Socialist Zionist in the U.S.”, in Israel News‎^[7], archived from the original on 28 January 2022:

     Gavriella: At an annual movement conference. I went for the first time, and we proposed creating new kenim [branches] and it was approved, which is amazing!

   • 2007, David Gur, דוד גור, Eli Netser, Brothers for Resistance and Rescue, page 87:

     At the beginning of 1944 he was sent to Debreccen to operate the local ken and to organize self-defense.

Etymology 6

Borrowed from Japanese 間.

Noun

ken (plural kens or ken)

1. A Japanese unit of length equal to six shakus.

Etymology 7

Borrowed from Japanese 剣.

Noun

ken (plural ken)

1. The tsurugi (type of sword).

See also

• jan ken po
• ken oath

Anagrams

• nek

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/ [ˈkɛn]
• Hyphenation: ken

Pronoun

kén

1. they, them
   • 2006, “Ruut 1:8 [Ruth 1:8]”, in Nabuwwa kee malikwa [Prophets and kings]‎^[8]:

     keenik inteemih, «Isin isinni inonti fan uduuraay; yoo kee isinni baqoltih maquk akah sugten innah, YALLI siinih yamqay.»

     she said to them, «You go back to your own mothers; like you have done for me and your dead husbands, may GOD bless you.»

See also

Afar personal pronouns

		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
				m	f
subject	singular	anú	atú	úsuk	ís
	plural	nanú	isín	úsun
object	singular	yó	kó	ká	tét
	plural	né	sín	kén

Determiner

ken

1. their

See also

Afar possessive determiners

		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
				m	f
personal	singular	yi	ku	kay	tet
	plural	ni	sin	ken
reflexive	singular	inní	isí
	plural	ninní	isinní, sinní

References

• E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985), “ken”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015), L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[9], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/

Etymology 1

From Dutch kin, from Middle Dutch kinne, from Old Dutch kinni, from Proto-Germanic *kinnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénus.

Noun

ken (plural kenne)

1. chin

Alternative forms

• kin

Etymology 2

From Dutch kennen.

Verb

ken (present ken, present participle kennende, past participle geken)

1. (transitive) To know (a person, a thing), be acquainted with

Derived terms

• te kenne

Basque

Noun

ken

1. genitive plural of ka

Breton

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *ken, from Proto-Celtic *kina (“on this side of”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe (“this, here”).

Adverb

ken

1. exclamative adverb

   ken (bras) ― so (big)

2. equality adverb

   (n'eo ket) ken (bras ha me) ― (he/she is not) so (big as me)

3. negative adverb

   (n'ouzon ket) ken

   (I don't know) any more

Chungli Ao

Etymology

From Proto-Central Naga *khən, of unclear further etymology.

Noun

ken

1. song

Further reading

• Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[10], Berkeley: University of California, page 230
• Gowda, K. S. Gurubasave (1985), Ao-English-Hindi Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, page 24
• Clark, Mary M. (1893), Ao Naga grammar with illustrative phrases and vocabulary, Molung: Assam Secretariat Printing Office, page 162

Cimbrian

Etymology 1

From Middle High German kemen, quemen, from Old High German kweman, from Proto-West Germanic *kweman, from Proto-Germanic *kwemaną. Cognate with German kommen, English come.

Verb

ken (strong)

1. (Tredici Comuni) to come

Alternative forms

• khemmen, khèmman

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Conjunction

ken

1. than

   Synonyms: dan, bèdar, kédar

Further reading

• “ken” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974), Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Dena'ina

Etymology

Compare Ahtna cen (“meadow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kʰən/

Noun

ken

1. flat, meadow, open area with few trees
2. base
3. low ridge

Derived terms

• veqakena (“leg”)

References

• Kari, James (2013), Denaʼina Topical Dictionary, Revised Edition, Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, page 139

Dupaningan Agta

Noun

ken

1. skirt

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛn
• IPA^(key): /kɛn/

Verb

ken

1. inflection of kennen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

Anagrams

• nek, enk

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ke-n (compare Votic čen), from Proto-Uralic *ke (compare Ter Sami kie, Erzya ки (ki), кие (kije), Udmurt кин (kin), Hungarian ki).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/, [ˈk̟e̞n]
• Rhymes: -en
• Syllabification^(key): ken
• Hyphenation^(key): ken

Pronoun

ken

1. (interrogative, dated) who; (when followed by a modifier in the elative case) which one (of)
2. (indefinite, dated) whoever

Usage notes

• Ken is old-fashioned or poetic in tone (or dialectal), yet its inflected forms are common and standard. See the usage notes under kuka.
• The traditional distribution of ken as a nominative singular form is as follows:

Dialectal distribution of ken
Northern Tavastia (Pohjois-Häme) [Tavastian dialects] Kuorevesi, Längelmäki, Pirkkala, Pälkäne, Urjala, Vilppula Southern Tavastia (Etelä-Häme) [Tavastian dialects] Jokioinen, Tammela Central Ostrobothnia (Keski-Pohjanmaa) [Central and North Ostrobothnian dialects] Himanka Northern Ostrobothnia (Pohjois-Pohjanmaa) [Central and North Ostrobothnian dialects] Utajärvi Kainuu [Savonian dialects] Kajaani, Puolanka, Ristijärvi, Sotkamo Western Central Finland (Läntinen Keski-Suomi) [Savonian dialects] Ähtäri Northern Savonia (Pohjois-Savo) [Savonian dialects] Joroinen, Nilsiä, Sonkajärvi, Tuusniemi Southern Savonia (Etelä-Savo) [Savonian dialects] Hirvensalmi, Juva, Kerimäki, Ristiina, Sääminki Northern Karelia (Pohjois-Karjala) [Savonian dialects] Ilomantsi, Joensuu, Juuka, Kesälahti, Kiihtelysvaara, Kitee, Kontiolahti, Korabselki (Korpiselkä), Liperi, Outokumpu/Kuusjärvi, Pielisjärvi, Pyhäselkä, Rautavaara, Ruskeala, Tohmajärvi, Tuupovaara, Valtimo Central Karelia (Keski-Karjala) [Southeastern dialects] Gromovo (Sakkola), Khiytola (Hiitola), Kurkijoki, Lumivaara, Melnikovskoye (Räisälä), Otradnoye (Pyhäjärvi (Vpl)), Parikkala, Priozersk (Käkisalmi), Saari, Sevastyanovskoye (Kaukola), Sosnovo (Rautu), Uukuniemi, Yakkima (Jaakkima) Southern Karelia (Etelä-Karjala) [Southeastern dialects] Kondratyevo (Säkkijärvi), Lappee, Lemi, Pervomayskoye (Kivennapa), Pobeda (Kanneljärvi), Polyany (Uusikirkko (Vpl)), Pravdino (Muolaa), Primorsk (Koivisto), Ruokolahti, Savitaipale, Svobodnoye (Kirvu), Virolahti, Vyborg (Viipuri), Ylämaa Ingria (Inkeri) [Southeastern dialects] Bolshoye Kuzemkino (Narvusi), Dudergof (Tuutari/Tuuteri), Gubanitsy (Kupanitsa), Kallivere/Kallivieri, Kobrino (Koprina), Koltushi (Keltto), Lembolovo (Lempaala), Markovo (Markkova), Martyshkino (Tyrö), Moloskovitsy (Moloskovitsa), Nikuljasy (Miikkulainen), Ribovo (Rääpyvä), Shundorovo (Hietamäki), Skvoritsy (Skuoritsa), Slavyanka (Venjoki), Voyskorovo (Inkere), Yarvosol (Järvisaari)
The classification of and data for regional dialects is based on pre-1950s data. Since the 1950s, the dialects have become increasingly mixed, levelled and influenced by Standard Finnish. Besides Standard Finnish, a relatively uniform and originally urban 'colloquial Finnish' is beginning to emerge in their place, especially in the cities. Source: Suomen murteiden sanakirja by Kotimaisten kielten keskus (CC BY 4.0); see the information for the background image for its sources and licensing

Inflection

See kuka.

Synonyms

• (who): kuka
• (whoever): kuka tahansa

Derived terms

• kenkään

Further reading

• “ken”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[11] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Clipping of kéni, the verlan form of niquer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

• Homophone: Ken

Verb

ken

1. (vulgar, Verlan) synonym of niquer
   • 2017, “Je m’isole”, in Dans l’arène, performed by Djadja & Dinaz:

     J'sais même plus laquelle j'ai ken, j'sais qu'elle kiffe la dégaine

     I don't remember which one I screwed, I know she loves the way of looking.

   • 2023, Greta Gerwig, director, Barbie (French film poster):

     Elle peut tout faire. Lui, c’est juste Ken.

     She can do anything. He’s just Ken.

     This tagline on the French poster for the film Barbie went viral as it was thought to be a pun on Lui sait juste ken (“He only knows how to fuck”).

Usage notes

Only used as infinitive or past participle.

Hungarian

Etymology

Of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɛn]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛn

Verb

ken

1. (transitive) to smear

Conjugation

Conjugation of ken

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	kenek	kensz	ken	kenünk	kentek	kennek
			def.	kenem	kened	keni	kenjük	kenitek	kenik
			2nd obj	kenlek
		past	indef.	kentem	kentél	kent	kentünk	kentetek	kentek
			def.	kentem	kented	kente	kentük	kentétek	kenték
			2nd obj	kentelek
		future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. kenni fog.
archaic preterite		indef.	kenék	kenél	kene	kenénk	kenétek	kenének
		def.	keném	kenéd	kené	kenénk	kenétek	kenék
		2nd obj	kenélek
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. ken vala, kent vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	kenendek	kenendesz	kenend	kenendünk	kenendetek	kenendenek
	def.	kenendem	kenended	kenendi	kenendjük	kenenditek	kenendik
	2nd obj	kenendelek
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	kennék	kennél	kenne	kennénk	kennétek	kennének
		def.	kenném	kennéd	kenné	kennénk (or kennők)	kennétek	kennék
		2nd obj	kennélek
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. kent volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	kenjek	kenj or kenjél	kenjen	kenjünk	kenjetek	kenjenek
			def.	kenjem	kend or kenjed	kenje	kenjük	kenjétek	kenjék
			2nd obj	kenjelek
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. kent légyen
infinitive	kenni		kennem	kenned	kennie	kennünk	kennetek	kenniük
other forms	verbal noun		present part.	past part.	future part.	adverbial participle		causative
	kenés		kenő	kent	kenendő	kenve (kenvén)		kenet
The archaic passive conjugation had the same -(t)at/-(t)et suffix as the causative, followed by -ik in the 3rd-person singular (and the concomitant changes in conditional and subjunctive mostly in the 1st- and 3rd-person singular like with other traditional -ik verbs).

Potential conjugation of ken

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	kenhetek	kenhetsz	kenhet	kenhetünk	kenhettek	kenhetnek
			def.	kenhetem	kenheted	kenheti	kenhetjük	kenhetitek	kenhetik
			2nd obj	kenhetlek
		past	indef.	kenhettem	kenhettél	kenhetett	kenhettünk	kenhettetek	kenhettek
			def.	kenhettem	kenhetted	kenhette	kenhettük	kenhettétek	kenhették
			2nd obj	kenhettelek
archaic preterite		indef.	kenheték	kenhetél	kenhete	kenheténk	kenhetétek	kenhetének
		def.	kenhetém	kenhetéd	kenheté	kenheténk	kenhetétek	kenheték
		2nd obj	kenhetélek
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. kenhet vala, kenhetett vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	kenhetendek or kenandhatok	kenhetendesz or kenandhatsz	kenhetend or kenandhat	kenhetendünk or kenandhatunk	kenhetendetek or kenandhattok	kenhetendenek or kenandhatnak
	def.	kenhetendem or kenandhatom	kenhetended or kenandhatod	kenhetendi or kenandhatja	kenhetendjük or kenandhatjuk	kenhetenditek or kenandhatjátok	kenhetendik or kenandhatják
	2nd obj	kenhetendelek or kenandhatlak
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	kenhetnék	kenhetnél	kenhetne	kenhetnénk	kenhetnétek	kenhetnének
		def.	kenhetném	kenhetnéd	kenhetné	kenhetnénk (or kenhetnők)	kenhetnétek	kenhetnék
		2nd obj	kenhetnélek
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. kenhetett volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	kenhessek	kenhess or kenhessél	kenhessen	kenhessünk	kenhessetek	kenhessenek
			def.	kenhessem	kenhesd or kenhessed	kenhesse	kenhessük	kenhessétek	kenhessék
			2nd obj	kenhesselek
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. kenhetett légyen
infinitive	(kenhetni)		(kenhetnem)	(kenhetned)	(kenhetnie)	(kenhetnünk)	(kenhetnetek)	(kenhetniük)
other forms	positive adjective			negative adjective		adverbial participle
	kenhető			kenhetetlen		(kenhetve / kenhetvén)

Derived terms

• kence
• kenet
• kenés
• kenőcs

With verbal prefixes

• beken
• elken
• felken
• fölken
• kiken
• leken
• megken
• odaken
• összeken
• ráken
• szétken

Further reading

• ken in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Javanese ꦏꦺꦤ꧀ (kén), from Old Javanese ken (“particle before a noun (categorical or proper) denoting a person of some rank”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛn/ [ˈken]
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: ken
• Homophone: KEN

Noun

ken

1. honorific for male and female children

Etymology 2

From Japanese 拳(けん) (ken, “fist”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛn/ [ˈken]
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: ken
• Homophone: KEN

Noun

ken

1. fist

Etymology 3

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 縣 (ken, “prefecture”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛn/ [ˈken]
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: ken
• Homophone: KEN

Noun

ken

1. (historical, 1942–1945) synonym of kabupaten (“regency”)

Further reading

• “ken”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Ingrian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ken. Cognates include Finnish ken and Estonian kes.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈken/, [ˈke̞n]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈken/, [ˈke̞n]
• Rhymes: -en
• Hyphenation: ken

Pronoun

ken

1. (interrogative) who?
   • 1936, N. A. Iljin and V. I. Junus, Bukvari iƶoroin șkouluja vart, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva:

     Ken se ono, arvaa!

     Who is it, guess!

2. (indefinite) whoever
   • 1936, L. G. Terehova, V. G. Erdeli, translated by Mihailov and P. I. Maksimov, Geografia: oppikirja iƶoroin alkușkoulun kolmatta klaassaa vart (ensimäine osa) [Geography: textbook for Ingrian elementary school third grade (first part)], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 6:

     Ken arvajaa matkapoolen itsest - „oikiaa“, „kurraa“, „ettee“, „takkaa“, - se kiiree öksyy veerahas paikaas.

     Whoever determines the direction of a journey from oneself - „to the right“, „to the left“, „forward“, „backward“, - that [person] will quickly get lost in an unfamiliar location.

3. (relative) who, that

Declension

Declension of ken
	singular	plural
nominative	ken	ket
genitive	kenen
partitive	ketä
illative	kehe
inessive	kes
elative	kest
allative	kelle
adessive	kel
ablative	kelt
translative	keks
essive	kenennä
*) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)

Derived terms

• kenlee

References

• V. I. Junus (1936), Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[12], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 100
• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971), Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 152

Japanese

Romanization

ken

1. Rōmaji transcription of けん
2. Rōmaji transcription of ケン

Kabuverdianu

Etymology

Derived from Portuguese quem.

Pronoun

ken

1. who

Kapampangan

Alternative forms

• keyan
• quen

Etymology

Etymology tree

Kapampangan ka-

Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ian

Kapampangan iyan

Kapampangan ken

From ka- + iyan.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈken/ [ˈkɛn]

• Hyphenation: ken

Adverb

ken

1. there (far from the speaker, but near the person addressed)
2. (indicating a location at which something happens)

Derived terms

• tagaken

Karaim

Alternative forms

• kien

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *kẹ̄ŋ.

Adjective

ken

1. wide

References

• N. A. Baskakov, S.M. Šapšala, editor (1973), “ken”, in Karaimsko-Russko-Polʹskij Slovarʹ [Karaim-Russian-Polish Dictionary], Moscow: Moskva, →ISBN

Karelian

Regional variants of ken

North Karelian (Viena)	ken
South Karelian (Tver)	ken

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ken. Cognates include Finnish ken and Veps ken.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/
• Hyphenation: ken

Pronoun

ken

1. (interrogative) who?
2. (relative) whoever

Declension

Viena Karelian declension of ken (irregular)
	singular	plural
nominative	ken	ket
genitive	kenen	kenen
partitive	ketä	ketä
illative	keneh	keneh
inessive	keššä	keššä
elative	keštä	keštä
adessive	kellä	kellä
ablative	keltä	keltä
translative	kekši	kekši
essive	kenenä	kenenä
comitative	—	keneneh
abessive	kettä	kettä
prolative	—	—
instructive	—	—

Tver Karelian declension of ken (irregular)
	singular	plural
nominative	ken	ket
genitive	kenen	kenen
partitive	kedä	ketä
illative	keneh	keneh
inessive	keššä	keššä
elative	keštä	keštä
adessive	kellä	kellä
ablative	keldä	keldä
translative	kekši	kekši
essive	kenenä	kenenä
comitative	kenenke	kenenke
abessive	kettä	kettä
prolative	kečči	kečči
instructive	—	—

Derived terms

• kennih
• niken

References

• A. V. Punzhina (1994), “ken”, in Словарь карельского языка (тверские говоры) [Dictionary of the Karelian language (Tver dialects)], →ISBN
• P. Zaykov; L. Rugoyeva (1999), “ken”, in Карельско-Русский словарь (Северно-Карельские диалекты) [Karelian-Russian dictionary (North Karelian dialects)], Petrozavodsk, →ISBN

Ladino

Alternative forms

• kien (Salonika), quen, quien

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish quien (“who”), from Latin quĕm, accusative of qui. Cognate with Spanish quien.

Pronoun

ken (relative pronoun, Hebrew spelling קין, plural kenes)

1. who; whom

   Dime kon ken andas, te dire ken sos.

   Tell me whom you go with, [and] I’ll tell you whom you are.

2. whoever; whomever (anyone who)
   • 1994, Tracy K. Harris, Death of a Language: The History of Judeo-Spanish‎^[13], University of Delaware Press, →ISBN, page 93:

     Ken no tiene iža, no tiene amiga

     Whoever hasn’t a daughter, hasn’t a female friend [either].

Livvi

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ken, from Proto-Uralic *ke. Cognates include Karelian ken and Ingrian ken.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/
• Hyphenation: ken

Pronoun

ken

1. who?

   Ken hyö ollah? ― Who are they?

References

• N. Gilojeva; S. Rudakova (2009), Karjalan kielen Livvin murdehen algukursu [Beginners' course of Karelian language's Livvi dialect]‎^[14] (in Livvi), Petrozavodsk, →ISBN, page 10
• Tatjana Boiko (2019), Suuri Karjal-Venʹalaine Sanakniigu (livvin murreh) [The Big Karelian-Russian dictionary (Livvi dialect)], 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 100

Ludian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ken.

Pronoun

ken

1. who

Declension

Declension of ken
	singular	plural
nominative	ken	—
genitive	kenen	—
partitive	keda	—
essive	kenen	—
instructive	—	—
inessive	kes	—
elative	kespiä	—
illative	keh	—
adessive	kel	—
ablative	kelpiä	—
allative	kelle	—
abessive	keneta	—
prolative	keneči	—
translative	keneks	—
additive	kehpiä	—
*) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)

References

• M. Pahomov (2022), Lüüdi-venän, venä-lüüdin sanakirdʹ‎^[15], Helsinki: Lüüdilaine Siebr, →ISBN

Maguindanao

Etymology

From kan. Compare Maranao kan.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Maguindanaon) IPA^(key): /kən/ [kɪɳ]
• Rhymes: -ən
• Syllabification: ken

Noun

kën

1. food

Mandarin

Romanization

ken

1. nonstandard spelling of kēn
2. nonstandard spelling of kěn
3. nonstandard spelling of kèn

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Maranao

Etymology

From kan, compare Maranao kan.

Noun

ken

1. food

Middle English

Etymology 1

From kennen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/

Noun

ken (uncountable)

1. (Late Middle English, hapax legomenon) recognition

Descendants

• English: ken
• Yola: ken, kin

References

• “ken, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Noun

ken

1. (MS. Fairfax 3, Kent) alternative form of kyn (“kin”)

Etymology 3

Noun

ken

1. (Kent) alternative form of kyn (“cows”)

Mohawk

Particle

ken

1. Question particle used in yes-or-no questions.

References

• Nora Deering; Helga H. Delisle (1976), Mohawk: A teaching grammar (preliminary version), Quebec: Manitou College, page 10

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• kön (Föhr-Amrum)
• koone (Mooring)

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kunnaną.

Verb

ken

1. (Sylt) can, be able

Conjugation

Conjugation of ken (Sylt dialect)

infinitive I	ken
infinitive II	(tö) kenen
past participle	kür
imperative	—
	present	past
1st singular	ken	kür
2nd singular	kenst	kürst
3rd singular	ken	kür
plural / dual	ken	kür
	perfect	pluperfect
1st singular	haa kür	her kür
2nd singular	heest kür	herst kür
3rd singular	heer kür	her kür
plural / dual	haa kür	her kür
	future (skel)	future (wel)
1st singular	skel ken	wel ken
2nd singular	sket ken	wet ken
3rd singular	skel ken	wel ken
plural / dual	skel ken	wel ken

Northern Kurdish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun

ken m

1. laugh
2. smile

Old Frisian

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *kuni, from Proto-Germanic *kunją, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to give birth”). Cognates include Old English cynn, Old Saxon kunni and Old Dutch cunni.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/

Noun

ken n

1. kindred, kin

Descendants

• North Frisian: kinne, kenne

References

• Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009), An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Old Javanese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/
• Rhymes: -kɛn
• Hyphenation: ken

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kain (“woman's skirt”).

Noun

ken

1. garment worn around the lower part of the body

Alternative forms

• kain

Derived terms

• kenken
• kinenakĕn
• makenken
• pakenan

Descendants

• > Javanese: ꦏꦺꦤ꧀ (kèn)

Etymology 2

Particle

ken

1. particle before a noun (categorical or proper) denoting a person of some rank

Derived terms

• aken
• kinen

Descendants

• > Javanese: ꦏꦺꦤ꧀ (kèn)

Further reading

• "ken" in P.J. Zoetmulder with the collaboration of S.O. Robson, Old Javanese-English Dictionary. 's-Gravenhage: M. Nijhoff, 1982.

Papiamentu

Alternative forms

• kende (synonym)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Portuguese quemder.

Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-

Proto-Indo-European *kʷís

Proto-Italic *kʷim

Latin quĕm

Spanish quiender.

Portuguese quemder.

Kabuverdianu kender.

Papiamentu ken

Derived from Portuguese quem, Spanish quien, and Kabuverdianu ken.

Pronoun

ken

1. who

Pennsylvania German

Alternative forms

• kee

Etymology

From Middle High German nechein, from Old High German nihein. Compare German kein, Dutch geen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/

Determiner

ken

1. no; not a(n); not one; not any

Declension

Declension of ken, kee

	singular				plural
	m	f	n
nominative	ken, kee	ken, kee	ken, kee		ken, kee
dative	kem	kenre	kem		ken
accusative	ken, kee	ken, kee	ken, kee		ken, kee

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan (“make known, declare, acknowledge”), originally "make to know", causative of cunnan (“to become acquainted with, to know”); from Proto-West Germanic *kannijan, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną.

Noun

ken (uncountable)

1. knowledge or perception

Verb

ken (third-person singular simple present kens, present participle kennin, simple past and past participle kent)

1. (transitive) To know, perceive or understand.

   Do ye ken John Peel with his coat so gay? - 19th century Cumbrian ballad

   Dae ye ken Ken kens Ken?

   Do you know Ken knows Ken?"

Southern Sierra Miwok

Noun

ken

1. no

Tok Pisin

Etymology

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 can

English can

Tok Pisin ken

Inherited from English can, from Middle English can, from Old English cann, from Proto-West Germanic *kann.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈken/

Verb

ken

1. (auxiliary) to be able to
2. (auxiliary) to may, to be allowed
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:29:

     Na God i tok olsem, “Mi givim yupela ol kain kain diwai na gras i karim pikinini bilong kaikai. Na yupela i ken kisim kaikai long ol dispela samting.

     →New International Version translation

3. (auxiliary) Expresses a wish.; may...

Further reading

• John W. M. Verhaar (1995), chapter 10, in Toward a reference grammar of Tok Pisin: An experiment in corpus linguistics, Honolulu: University of Hawai'i press, →ISBN, page 144

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *ken.

Pronoun

ken (genitive kenen, partitive keda)

1. who (interrogative)

Inflection

Inflection of ken
nominative sing.	ken
genitive sing.	kenen
partitive sing.	keda
partitive plur.	—
	singular	plural
nominative	ken	—
accusative	kenen	—
genitive	kenen	—
partitive	keda	—
essive-instructive	kenen	—
translative	keneks	—
inessive	kes kenes	—
elative	kespäi kenespäi	—
illative	kehe kenehe	—
adessive	kel kenel	—
ablative	kelpäi kenelpäi	—
allative	kelle kenele	—
abessive	keneta	—
comitative	kenenke	—
prolative	kedame	—
approximative I	kenenno	—
approximative II	kenennoks	—
egressive	kenennopäi	—
terminative I	kehesai kenehesai	—
terminative II	kellesai kenelesai	—
terminative III	—	—
additive I	kehepäi kenehepäi	—
additive II	kellepäi kenelepäi	—

Derived terms

• ken-ni
• ken-se
• koje-ken
• niken

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “кто”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary]‎^[16], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kɛn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kɛŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kɛŋ˧˧]

Adjective

ken

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Verb

ken

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Yiddish

Romanization

ken

1. romanization of קען
   • 2000, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, translated by Shloyme Lerman, Der kleyner prints‎^[17], Verlag Michaela Naumann, Nidderau, →ISBN:

     Glaykh foroys ken men zeyer vayt nisht geyn …

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Yola

Alternative forms

• kin

Etymology

From Middle English ken.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɛn/, /kɪn/

Noun

ken

1. ken
2. regard, liking
   • 1867, “ABOUT AN OLD SOW GOING TO BE KILLED”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 106:

     Ich aam a vat hog it's drue. Aar is ken apan aam.

     I am a fat hog, 'tis true. There is ken upon them.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 49