Wordwyrt

keen

/ˈkin/KEEN
/ˈkin/KEEN

Meaningbold or skilful

Common meaning: eager, sharp or perceptive

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√GAN‘know’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 88, p. 733 · scan
  2. Old Englishcēne‘bold or skilful’sourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishmeaning shiftsbold or skilful → sharp or eagerkene‘sharp or eager’source
  4. Englishkeen‘eager, sharp or perceptive’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English cēne ‘bold or skilful’.

Roots

  • cēne Old English “bold or skilful”

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