Forms: 1 cunnan, 2–5 cunnen, (cune), 3–6 cunne, 4–9 cun; also kunne(n, kun; also 4–6 connen, (cone), 4–7 conne, 6– con. See more fully under CAN v.1 [In the verb CAN the original vowel of the infinitive, and of all parts of the present stem except 1st and 3rd sing pres. indic., was u: thus Inf. cunnan, ME. cunne(n, cun; Ind. pres. 2nd sing. cunne, later cunnest, pl. cunnon, ME. cunne(n, cun; Conj. pres. cunne, pl. cunnen; pr. pple. cunnand, ME. -end, -ing; vbl. sb. cunning. These u forms survived more or less all through the ME. period: see CAN v.1 A.; but in accordance with the scribal practice of writing o for u, in contact with m, n, u (v), w, they were often spelt connen, conne, con; the pronunciation is however proved by numerous rhymes with sone, sonne, son (= son), sonne, son (= sun), yronne (= y-run), wonne, won (OE. wunian), etc. The form of the 1st and 3rd sing. I can, he can, also varied from OE. times with con (cǫn), the regular Old WS. type (see Sievers, Ags. Gramm., § 65). I con (in Cast. Loue, 1071, riming with for-þon) is found for I can in some texts even after 1400; but long before this can prevailed as the midland and northern form, at least in senses 1 and 2. The vowel-type of the 1st and 3rd sing. pres. ind. was gradually extended to the 2nd sing. (cǫnst, canst), the plural (we cǫn, can), the conj. pres., and the infin. (cǫn, can)—the last in Standard Eng. only from end of 15th c. The u forms thus remained intact only in the pple. and vbl. sb. CUNNING, q.v. About the same time a differentiation of forms and senses became manifest: can became established in sense 2 ‘to be able,’ and predominant in sense 1 ‘to know’; but cun, con, were retained and extended to all parts in sense 3 ‘to learn,’ and the phrase to cun or con thanks, sense 4. This cun, con, was mainly the representative of ME. cunn- or conn- from OE. cunn- (= kun); but in part it represented ME. con, from OE. cǫn, for can (= kǫn); hence it survived in two forms, cun, which is still common dialectally in ‘to cun thanks,’ and con, which was the form in literary favor, both in the obs. ‘to con thanks,’ and the still existing sense ‘to con or learn a lesson.’ This con is not a mere spelling variant of cun, as ME. conne was of cunne; but, from Spenser onward, con rhymes with on, conned with fond, which is still the received pronunciation. The original pa. t. was cúðe, couthe, coud, could (see CAN v.1); but already in 14th c. in the phrase to cun thanks, sense 4, we find a pa. t. cunde, conned, with corresp. pa. pple.; at the differentiation of forms this was associated with cun, con, leaving coud, could to CAN v., so that CON is now a regular weak verb con, connest, conneth, cons, conned. Thus there remains no consciousness of connection between can to be able, and con to learn. The earlier quotations however overlap the ground covered by CAN v.1, and are given as supplementary to those under that word, and introductory to the later use of con, cun.]
† I. Where CAN became the normal form.
† 1. To know. Obs. = CAN v. 1–2. (Pa. t. and pple. rarely cunde, conde.)
α. cunne, cun, kun (originally proper to all parts of pres. stem exc. 1st and 3rd pers. sing. Ind.).
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 212. Þy ʓemete þe læcas cunnon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 124. Alle cunneð wel þeos asaumple.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 521. He moste kunne muchel of art.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 187. To kun and knaw.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Cor. xiv. 7. How schal it be kowd [v.r. cunde, knowen] that is songun. Ibid. (1388), Baruch iii. 9. That thou kunne [1382 wite] prudence.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867), 9. If we cune mare þan þay.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 131. In which a man mai leerne and kunne eny thing.
1483. Cath. Angl., 86. To Cunne, scire, etc.
1613. R. C., Table Alph., Cunne, to discerne, also to giue [thanks].
β. conne, con, kon.
[Beowulf, 2759. Eard ʓit ne const.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 35. For nis nan sunne þet he ne con.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 1071. He scholde konen al þt God con [rhyme for-þon].
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1267. Hit is þe worchyp of yourself þat noȝt bot wel connez.]
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. vi. (1513), 106/4. Konne pres conj. [rhyme ronne pa. pple.].
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., Creatio, 3. My myght may no thing kon [rhymes son, won].
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. v. 27. The first may not be perfightly conned withoute the laste.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., June, 65. Of Muses, Hobbinol, I conne no skill. Ibid. (1595), Col. Clout, 294. Much more there is unkend then thou dost kon [rhyme a fon]. Ibid. (1596), F. Q., V. vi. 35. They were all fled for feare, but whether, nether kond.
1607. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. ii. (1641), 209/1. Tunes, Measures … als’ hee kons.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 156. That [this] should be … I no more conne, than that [etc.].
b. Const. of, on; = CAN 2.
c. 1275. Lay., 7302. Wise men þat wel conne of speche [1205 cunnen a speche].
1486. Bk. St. Albans, E vj b. Thus may ye konne of game.
† 2. As verb of incomplete predication, with inf.: To know how; hence, to have the capacity or power, to be able; = CAN v.1 3–8. (Pa. t. and pple. always as in CAN.)
α. cunne, cun, kun.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 47. We[n]st þu þat ich ne cunne singe?
a. 1300. K. Horn, 568. Þer nis non betere anonder sunne Þat eni man of telle cunne.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2345 (Cott.). Folk sua selcut mani brede, Þat naman suld cun sume ne neuen. Ibid., 9290. Wel sal he cun knau quilk es quilk.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5892. Yit kunne we Sende aftir hir.
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), I. lxviii. It is a grete maistry a man to cun [1533 can] loue his euen crysten in charyte.
β. conn(e, con, kon(ne.
a. 1225. Juliana, 67. Greiðe al þat þu const grimliche biþenchen.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2040, Ariadne. No man elles shal me konne espie.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 327. The cornel ryse upon the wynter sonne, And gire it from the cold West yf thou conne.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iv. 127. I sholde not conne telle the harme … that he hath doon.
[1884. Chesh. Gloss., s.v., Ay, that aw con.]
II. Senses in which CON remained the normal form, with the regular weak inflexions.
3. To get to know; to study or learn, esp. by repetition (mental or vocal); hence, in wider sense, to pore over, peruse, commit to memory; to inspect, scan, examine; = CAN v.1 9.
† α. cunne, cun, kun. Obs. (The first quot. perh. belongs to 1.)
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. xii. 290. Of Iber, Frere Martyne, and Vincens Storyis to cwn dyd diligens.
1567. Drant, Horace Epist., II. i. G ij. Those Rome doth cun [ediscit].
1578. Whetstone, Promos & Cass., IV. iv. It behoves me to be secret, or else my necke-verse cun.
1580. Baret, Alv., C. 1743. To cunne … or learn perfectly, ediscere.
β. conne, con, kon. (The first two quots. perh. belong to 1.)
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XII. 7. Þe were lef to lerne but loþ for to studie; Þou woldest konne þat I can and carpen hit after.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xi. 282. Conne ye well your lesson.
c. 1500. Yng. Children’s Bk., 149, in Babees Bk., 25. This boke is made for chylder ȝonge … Sone it may be conyd & had.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Feb., 92. A tale of truth, Which I cond of Tityrus in my youth.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 517. An Oration which … Lysander should have conned without book.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. v. 186. My speech … is excellently well pend, I haue taken great paines to con it.
1620. Ford, Linea V. (1843), 49. A lesson worthie to be cond.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 123. Wear Rosaries about their Necks to con Their Exercise of Devotion on.
1689. Prior, Ep. to Fleetwood Shephard, 155. The books of which I’m chiefly fond, Are such, as you have whilom conn’d.
1720. Swift, To Stella. A poet starving in a garret, Conning old topics like a parrot.
1832. Lytton, Eug. Aram, I. x. (Stratm.). When the flower had been duly conned.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., xii. Patiently conning the page again and again.
1865. Miss Cary, Ball. & Lyrics, 111. Intent … to con the stranger’s face.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., I. 154. Persons who con pedigrees.
† b. To con or cun by heart or by rote. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 90. I can konne more by herte in a day than he can in a weke.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxx. 475. Not to cun by heart, nor to write out.
1590. Greenwood, Answ. Def. Read Prayers, 15. Conning phrases and formes of prayer by roate.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, II. (1692), 56. To conn by heart these prayers.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), I. 211. To con the Authors Names by rote.
c. To con over.
1644. Milton, Educ., Wks. (1847), 98/2. By orderly conning over the visible and inferior creature.
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 107. Skil enough to reade the lessons with twice conning over.
1734. Watts, Reliq. Juv. (1789), 127. Ritillo … cons over his prayer-book.
1835. Whewell, in Todhunter, Acc. W.’s Wks. (1876), II. 213. I have hardly had time to con over your examination papers.
1835. Marryat, Jac. Faithful, xxviii. I was conning over in my mind whom I should select.
1858. R. S. Surtees, Ask Mamma, xlix. 215. The Baronet conned the … matter over in his mind.
1876. Black, Madcap V., xlii. 367. He had conned over a few little bits of rhetoric.
4. To cun or con thank(s (OE. þanc cunnan): to acknowledge or avow one’s gratitude; to express or offer thanks, to thank: see CAN v.1 10.
α. cun thank(s: now dialectal.
a. 1000. Crist, 1092 (Gr.). Þam þe þonc gode … ne cuðon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 124. Nolde he cunnen god þonc.
c. 1280. E. E. P. (1862), 21. Þou cunnest me no þonk.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6398 (Cott.). Þai cund [Fairf. conned] him ai ful litell thanck. Ibid., 14065 (Gött.). I cun [Trin. con] hir mekil thank.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., Mactacio Abel, 12. Thank or thew to kun me.
1519. Horman, Vulg., in Promp. Parv., 90. Thou shalt kun me thanke.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camd. Soc.), 25. I could have cunnid him greater thank if he had takin les paines.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1678), 248 (Jam.). These he would cunne thanks.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour Caves, Gloss. (E.D.S.), Cun thanks, to give thanks.
1824. in Jamieson.
1869. Lonsdale Gloss., Cun thanks, to give or render thanks.
1883. Huddersf. Gloss., ‘I cum ye no thank.’ [COME v. 31.]
β. con thank(s: arch. and dial.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 45. Eilred sent tille Inglond Sir Edward his sonne With his letter sealed, & þanke wild he þam conne.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, B vj. He shal conne her thanke.
1530. Palsgr., 475/1. I have conned hym good thanke: je luy ay sceu bon gré.
1627. Wren, Serm. bef. King, 30. I will kon them small thanks.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 31. Which none called him to, and … none conn’d him thanks for.
1691. Ray, North-C. Words, Pref. Of common and general use in most counties of England … To cun, or con thanks; to give thanks.
1721–1800. Bailey, Conn … to give, as I conn thanks.
a. 1734. North, Lives, III. 140. We conned our thanks and came away.
1824. in Jamieson. [‘I am sure, I con you thanks’ was said to me by an old man in London in 1880. J. A. H. M.]
† b. So To (cun) con gree or malgre: to express one’s satisfaction or displeasure [F. savoir gré]; also, to cun grame (= indignation), con laud. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17659 (C. & G.). All we cund [v.r. coude, cowde] þe mekil grame For þu grof iesu licame.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 959. No maugre þou þeym cone Þaw þey wolde in fredom wone.
c. 1400. Yvaine & Gaw., 990. And ye kun me na mawgré.
c. 1450. Merlin, xxvii. 505. Yef I wiste the kynge Looth wolde conne me no magre. Ibid., xxvii. 529. That thei may conne you gree.
c. 1500. Melusine, 108. In such wise that ye shall conne me good gree & thanke therfore.
1602. Q. Eliz., in Moryson Itin., II. III. i. (1617), 228. We con you many laudes for hauing so neerely approched the villainous Rebell.
† 5. To cause to learn; to teach. Obs. rare.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xii. 206. In many secret skills shee had been cond her lere.
