know

know
{{11}}know (n.) "inside information" (as in in the know), 1883; earlier "fact of knowing" (1590s), from KNOW (Cf. know) (v.).
{{12}}know (v.) O.E. cnawan (class VII strong verb; past tense cneow, pp. cnawen), "to know, perceive; acknowledge, declare," from P.Gmc. *knew- (Cf. O.H.G. bi-chnaan, ir-chnaan "to know"), from PIE root *gno- "to know" (Cf. O.Pers. xЕЎnasatiy "he shall know;" O.C.S. znati, Rus. znat "to know;" L. gnoscere; Gk. *gno-, as in gignoskein; Skt. jna- "know"). Once widespread in Germanic, this form is now retained only in English, where however it has widespread application, covering meanings that require two or more verbs in other languages (e.g. Ger. wissen, kennen, erkennen and in part können; Fr. connaître, savoir; L. novisse, cognoscere; O.C.S. znaja, vemi). The Anglo-Saxons used two distinct words for this, witan (see WIT (Cf. wit)) and cnawan.
Meaning "to have sexual intercourse with" is attested from c.1200, from the Old Testament. To not know one's ass from one's elbow is from 1930. To know better "to have learned from experience" is from 1704. You know as a parenthetical filler is from 1712, but it has roots in 14c. To know too much (to be allowed to live, escape, etc.) is from 1872. As an expression of surprise, what do you know attested by 1914.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • know — know; fore·know; fore·know·able; fore·know·er; fore·know·ing·ly; know·abil·i·ty; know·able; know·er; know·ing·ly; know·ing·ness; mis·know; pre·know; un·know·en; know·ing; un·know; know·able·ness; un·know·ably; un·know·ing·ness; …   English syllables

  • Know — (n[=o]), v. t. [imp. {Knew} (n[=u]); p. p. {Known} (n[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. {Knowing}.] [OE. knowen, knawen, AS. cn[ a]wan; akin to OHG. chn[ a]an (in comp.), Icel. kn[ a] to be able, Russ. znate to know, L. gnoscere, noscere, Gr. gighw skein,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • know — ► VERB (past knew; past part. known) 1) have knowledge of through observation, inquiry, or information. 2) be absolutely sure of something. 3) be familiar or friendly with. 4) have a good command of (a subject or language). 5) have personal… …   English terms dictionary

  • know — [nō] vt. knew, known, knowing [ME knowen < OE cnawan, akin to OHG cnāhan < IE base * ĝen , *ĝnō , to know, apprehend > CAN1, KEN, L gnoscere, to know, Gr gignōskein] 1. to have a clear perception or understanding of; be sure of or well… …   English World dictionary

  • Know — Know, v. i. 1. To have knowledge; to have a clear and certain perception; to possess wisdom, instruction, or information; often with of. [1913 Webster] Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Is. i. 3. [1913 Webster] If any man will do …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • know of — (someone/something) to have information about someone or something. Do you know of a way to remove this stain? We ve never met, but I certainly know of him. Usage notes: also used in the spoken phrase not that I know of I do not know: “Is he home …   New idioms dictionary

  • know — The expression you know, inserted parenthetically in a sentence in speech, sometimes has real meaning, e.g. in introducing extra information that the hearer is likely to know already, but generally it is a meaningless sentence filler like I mean …   Modern English usage

  • Know — (n[=o]), n. Knee. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • know — I verb absorb, apperceive, appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, be apprised of, be informed, cognize, comprehend, conceive, conclude, conjecture, deduce, digest, discern, fathom, find, gather, glean, grasp, identify, infer, internalize, learn,… …   Law dictionary

  • know — [v1] understand information apperceive, appreciate, apprehend, be acquainted, be cognizant, be conversant in, be informed, be learned, be master of, be read, be schooled, be versed, cognize, comprehend, differentiate, discern, discriminate,… …   New thesaurus

  • Know HR — is an online magazine about human resources processes, employee motivation, and executive compensation. It is syndicated on Reuters, IBS, and The Palm Beach Post.External links* [http://www.knowhr.com/blog/ KnowHR Blog] *… …   Wikipedia

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