Middle English Dictionary Entry
kennen v.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | kennen v.(2) Also cennen, -an, cænnen. Forms: sg. 3 kenneð & cenþ; p.ppl. i)kenned, i)kend, i)cenned, kennde & iken. |
| Etymology | OE ge)cennan |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To give birth to (a child, offspring); dwale-kenned [see dwale n. 1. (d)]; (b) to conceive (offspring); also, beget (a child), engender; (c) of God: to generate (the Son).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)87.38/2 : Wið þat wif hrædlice cennan mæȝe, nim þisse wyrt sæd.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)114.91/2 : Wið þat wifmen earfoþlice cennen.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/5 : Al moncyn is ilice on þas weorld icenned, þeah heore lif beo syððæn unilic.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)19268 : He wass Godd..Off clene maȝȝdenn kennedd.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)26128 : Sellic heom þuhte whar weore under heuene swulc hafed ikenned.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)31 : Ure lafdi seinte marie kennede of holie lichame ure louerd ihesu crist.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)179 : On sorege þu shalt child kennen and beren.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)36/29 : Al þet cun þet tu art icumen & ikennet of, beoð alle in ure bondes.
b
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)19/45 : Se ængel hire cydde þæt heo cænnen scolde Godes sune.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)12/22,24 : To þan þat wyf cenne wæpned cyld..drincen butu; ȝyf þat wif ane hit drinceð, þanne cenþ heo androȝinem.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15789 : Heo beoð ihaten ful iwis incubii demones..& monienne hende wimmon þurh heore cræfte kenneð anan..& þus wes Marlin biȝeten.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)219 : Ysaie..was man wuniinde on þese worlde mani hundred wintre are þe maiden ware iken oþer istren.
- a1250 Creed (Nero A.14)217 : Ich bileue..on iesu crist..þet was ikenned þuruh ðe holi goste, iboren was of ðe meidene marie.
- a1275 Doomsday (Trin-C B.14.39)25 : He sulen isen þat maiden þat ihesus crist inne kennede.
- ?a1325 Creed (Cai 52/29)p.282 : Ich i-leve..in Jhesu Crist..that kenned is of þen holigost, y-boren of þen mayden Marie.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)273/252 : He was biȝite And ykenned inis moder wombe.
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)716 : A smal web biclippeþ it al aboute..Fram þat it is ferst ikend forte it be ibore attelaste.
- a1325 SLeg.Patr.(Corp-C 145)577 : Of is [Adam's] wrechede we beoþ ikenned [Ld: i-kened], & of is sunfol blod icome.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)12/17,19 : He wes y-kend of þe holi gost..Þet is to onderstonde þet he wes y-kend ine þe Mayde Marie..by þe uirtu of þe holi gost.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)263/2 : Ich leue ine..oure lhord þet y-kend is of þe holy gost.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14339 : Þi sun þe thankes þou dun has send; Of þe an haligast es kend.
- a1400 *I bileue in god (Cmb Gg.4.32)8 : I bileue in..Ihesu Crist..Þat þorgh þe holi gostes might Kenned was and fless tok righ[t].
- ?a1425 Glo.Chron.B (Dgb 205)1545,1547 : Kennede [vr. ykenned; A: he wolde..ise..þe chamber..War inne he was ikenede ar is moder him bere]..kenned [vr. kennyd; A: Hou vair þe inewarde was þat he kened was inne].
c
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)18/31 : Þu art wunne of þe world, Iesu Crist, kinebern; godd ikennet of godd, as liht is of leome.
2.
(a) Of a plant, fetus: to develop (sth.), grow; also, be developed; (b) to foster (sb., the soul), nourish, sustain; (c) of eggs: to hatch out.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)67.2/3 : Þes wyrt byð cenned on dunlandum & on faste stowun.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)84.30/1 : Þeos wyrt..byð cenned on dune & fæstum landum.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)132.132/1 : Þat sæd byþ ȝeond ælne ðone stelen cenned.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)273/253 : He wolde iwite Wuch were þe stude & hou uair þat he kenned inne.
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)699,702 : Þer kenneþ [Ld: keniez] uerst þer of smale bollen þre..Of þe hexte comeþ þe brain..Þe liuere..kenneþ [Ld: comez] of þe þridde.
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)703 : Þis beoþ þe þre hexte limes þat ferst ikenned [Ld: i-kenede] beoþ.
b
- a1400 Heil & holi (Cmb Gg.4.32)61 : Wel likede him þer-in to wone, And kenned was as brid in neste.
- c1440 Treat.PN(2) (Thrn)263 : To þe saule þis gastely brede es þe lerynge and þe techeynge and þe vndirstandynge in þe commandementes of godde, whare-thurghe þe saule es kennede an[d] lyffes.
- c1440 Treat.PN(2) (Thrn)263 : Whene þe body hase þat that it will, and þe saule dyes for hungere, þat es to say, es noghte kennde als it aughte to be, þane sall bathe þe body and þe saule wende to þe fyre of helle.
c
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.51 : Anoþer proud partriche..houeth þe eyren..And with hir corps keuereth hem till þat þey kenne.