kunne

Danish

Alternative forms

• kunde (obsolete form in the past tense)

Etymology

From Old Norse kunna, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, cognate with English con, German können. The Germanic verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”), which is also the source of the Danish words kende (“to know”), kunde (“customer”), kundskab (“knowledge”), kunst (“art”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʰunə], [ˈkʰu]

Verb

kunne (present kan, past kunne, past participle kunnet)

1. (auxiliary) to be able, can (with an infinitive)
2. (auxiliary) to be allowed, may (with an infinitive)
3. (auxiliary, in the past tense) could, would, might (with an infinitive, expressing potential mood)
4. (transitive) to know (with an object, e.g. a language)

Conjugation

	present	past
simple	kan	kunne
perfect	har kunnet	havde kunnet
passive	kunnes	—
participle	kunnende	kunnet
imperative	-	—
infinitive	kunne	—
auxiliary verb	have	—
gerund	kunnen	—

Inflection of kunne

References

• “kunne” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch kunne, from Old Dutch *kunni, from Proto-West Germanic *kuni, from Proto-Germanic *kunją, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to produce”).

Noun

kunne f (uncountable)

1. gender, sex

Etymology 2

Verb

kunne

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of kunnen

Finnish

Etymology

ku- +‎ -nne (sublative singular)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkunːeˣ/, [ˈkunːe̞(ʔ)]
• Rhymes: -unːe
• Syllabification^(key): kun‧ne

Adverb

kunne (archaic)

1. whither (to where)

Derived terms

• kunneka
• kunnekaan
• kunnekin

 

Further reading

• “kunne”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• enkun, nekun, nuken

Hausa

Etymology

From Proto-Chadic *km/*ɬm.^[1] Cognate with Beele kumo, Bole kūmī, Kirfi kúmā, Diri húmà, Siri kūūtá, Kariya kúméi, Goemai kwām, Polci kəəm, Mangas kɨmsi, Miya kúmáy, Saya kə̀:m, Muyang ɬìmì, Uldeme sləmāy, Bana slə́mə́, Matal sləm, Lagwan slɨmi, Moloko ɬəmáy, Mbuko ɬə́máy, Podoko sləma, Kirya-Konzel tlə́m, Daba zlìmī and Mpade shimu.

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /kûn.néː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [kʷʊ̂n.néː]

Noun

kûnnē m (plural kunnuwā̀, possessed form kûnnen)

1. ear
2. leaf (of a plant)

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /kún.né/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key): [kʷʊ́n.né]

Adverb

à kunne

1. in or on the ear

References

1. Jungraithmayr, Herrmann, Ibriszimow, Dymitr (1994) Chadic Lexical Roots. Tentative reconstruction, grading, distribution and comments. (Sprache und Oralität in Afrika; 20), volume I, Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag

Ingrian

Etymology

From the sublative of kuka.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈkunːe/, [ˈkunː]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈkunːe/, [ˈkunːe̞]
• Rhymes: -unː, -unːe
• Hyphenation: kun‧ne

Adverb

kunne

1. (of motion) whither? where?

Synonyms

• kuhu

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 219

Karelian

Etymology

Akin to Veps kuna.

Adverb

kunne

1. whither

Middle English

Noun

kunne

1. Alternative form of kyn

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse kunna, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-.

Verb

kunne (present tense kan, simple past kunne, past participle kunnet)

1. can, could

   Jeg kan se deg.

   I can see you.

2. might

   Jeg kan komme, hvis jeg kan finne tid.

   I might come, if I can find the time.

3. can (be able to)

   Jeg kan spille fele.

   I can play the fiddle.

4. to know

   Jeg kan denne sangen.

   I know this song. (lit. I can do this song.)

References

• “kunne” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²kʉnːə/
• Homophone: kunde (in some dialects)

Verb

kunne (present tense kan, past tense kunne, past participle kunna)

1. e-infinitive form of kunna (in dialects with e-infinitive or split infinitive)

References

• “kunne” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.