FromProto-West Germanic*kuni, fromProto-Germanic*kunją.
Cognate withOld Frisiankin,Old Saxonkunni,Old Dutch*kunni,Old High Germankunni,Old Norsekyn,Gothic𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌹(kuni). The Indo-European root is also the source ofAncient Greekγένος(génos),Latingenus.
cynn m orn
- kind
- c. 992,Ælfric,"The Nativity of St. John the Baptist"
Twā forhæfdnessecynn sind. Ān is līchamlīċ, ōðer gāstlīċ.- There are twokinds of restraint. One is physical, the other spiritual.
c.1021,Wulfstan,Winchester Code of Cnut, article 5.1:Hǣðensċipe biþ þæt man dēofolġield weorðiġe, þæt is þæt man weorðiġe hǣðenu godu and sunnan oþþe mōnan, fȳr oþþe flōd, wæterwiellas oþþe stānas oþþe ǣniġescynnes wudutreowu, oþþe wiċċecræft lufiġe oþþe morðweorc ġefremme on ǣniġe wīsan, oþþe on blōte oþþe frihte, oþþe swelcra gedwimera ǣniġ þing drēoge.- Worshiping idols is a kind of paganism, whether one worships heathen gods and the sun or the moon, or fire or flood, or wells or stones or anykind of forest trees, or if one loves witchcraft or commits murder in any way, either by sacrifice or by divination, or takes any part in similar delusions.
- tribe,race,species
- family (especially regarding alineage)
- late 9th century,translation ofOrosius'History Against the Pagans
Be þām hringum man meahte witan hwæt Rōmāna duguþe ġefeallen wæs, for þon þe hit wæs þēaw mid him on þām dagum þæt nān ōðer ne mōste gyldenne hring werian būtan hē æðelescynnes wǣre.- You could tell by the rings how much of the Roman nobility had fallen, because the custom back then was that no one could wear a gold ring unless they were from a noblefamily.
- (grammar)gender
- c. 995,Ælfric,Extracts on Grammar in English
Is ēac tō witenne þæt naman bēoþ oft ōðrescynnes on Lǣden and ōðrescynnes on Englisċ.- Note also that nouns are often onegender in Latin and anothergender in English.
- (rare) natural gender
As theprototheme of given names, used interchangeably with and later broadly replaced (in both new and historic names) by the cognatecyne-. Compare the names of sisters-in-lawCynnburug andCyneswiþa.
Stronga-stem:
