English
keen
Keen comes from Middle English kene ‘bold, brave, sharp’, from Proto-Germanic *kōniz ‘knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever,…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to know’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kōniz‘knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cēne‘keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500kene‘bold, brave, sharp’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596keen
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵneh₃-‘to know’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kōniz‘knowledgeable, skilful, experienced, clever, capable’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cēne‘keen, fierce, bold, brave, warlike, powerful’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500kene‘bold, brave, sharp’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596keen
Earliest quotation: c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, Loues Labour’s Lost: “The tongues of mocking wenches are as keen As…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- ‘to know’
can, know, could, note, normal, notice, recognize, ignore, recognition, narrative, glory, con, noble, notion, cognitive, ignorant, norm, diagnostic, notorious, notation, nobility, cunning, cognition, prognosis, narration, quaint, ken, gnome, notoriety, notary, incognito, agnostic, canny, connoisseur, uncouth, canna, kith, gnosis, annotate, recognizance, 91 more
Another origin of keen
- Old Irishc. 600–900coínid‘to lament, mourn, keen’
- Middle Irishc. 900–1200caínid
- Irishc. 1200–presentcaoin‘to lament, keen’
- Englishtodaykeen
Today it means
adj Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and an infinitive: showing a quick and ardent responsiveness or willingness; eager, enthusiastic, interested.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- / keen