< Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic
Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/kanis
 | This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence. |
Proto-Celtic
Etymology
Sometimes said to be from *knyo-, from Proto-Indo-European *kn̥-i-, from *ken- (“to begin, arise”),[1] but this leaves a wide semantic gap. It could instead be from a non-Indo-European substrate language.
Adjective
*kanis[2]
- nice, good
Inflection
| I-stem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *kanis | *kanī | *kanīs |
| vocative | *kani | *kanī | *kanīs |
| accusative | *kanim | *kanī | *kanims |
| genitive | *kanēs | *kanyou | *kanyom |
| dative | *kanē | *kanibom | *kanibos |
| instrumental | *kanī | *kanibim | *kanibis |
| feminine | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *kanis | *kanī | *kanīs |
| vocative | *kani | *kanī | *kanīs |
| accusative | *kanim | *kanī | *kanims |
| genitive | *kanēs | *kanyou | *kanyom |
| dative | *kanē | *kanibom | *kanibos |
| instrumental | *kanī | *kanibim | *kanibis |
| neuter | singular | dual | plural |
| nominative | *kani | *kanī | *kanyā |
| vocative | *kani | *kanī | *kanyā |
| accusative | *kani | *kanī | *kanyā |
| genitive | *kanois | *kanois | *kanyom |
| dative | *kanē | *kanibom | *kanibos |
| instrumental | *kanī | *kanibim | *kanibis |
Descendants
- Proto-Brythonic:
- Middle Breton: quen
- Breton: ken
- Middle Welsh: cein
- Welsh: cain
- Middle Breton: quen
- Old Irish: cain (conflated with modern caín)
References
- R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cain”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
- Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*kani-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 187