kan

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kan"

Languages (53)

Translingual • English

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Afrikaans • Alak • Awar • Bambara • Basque • Bikol Central • Breton • Catalan • Chuukese • Cimbrian • Dakota • Danish • Dutch • Epigraphic Mayan • French • Gagauz • German • Gun • Haitian Creole • Hanunoo • Hungarian • Indonesian • Isnag • Japanese • Karaim • Kera • Kholosi • Lacandon • Malay • Mandarin • Maranao • Marshallese • Mauritian Creole • Middle English • Musi • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Nupe • Romani • Seimat • Serbo-Croatian • Somali • Spanish • Swedish • Tok Pisin • Turkish • Ute • Wutunhua • Yami • Yoruba • Yucatec Maya

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

kan

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Kannada.

See also

• Wiktionary's coverage of Kannada terms

English

Etymology 1

Noun

kan (plural kans)

1. Archaic form of khan.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese 貫.

Noun

kan (plural kan)

1. A Japanese unit of weight, approximately 3.75 kg or 8.267 lb.
   • 2000, Hideo Yamashita, Healthy Culture and Unhealthy Culture:

     After having subtracted the bad and uncollectable debt above, the net property was around 32000 kan of silver […]

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Cantonese 斤 (gan¹).

Noun

kan (plural kans)

1. (Hong Kong) A catty, legally defined as 0.60478982 kilograms.

See also

• kan cheong
• kan ni na
• kan ni na bu

 

Anagrams

• NAK, NKA, nak, nka

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch kan, singular of kunnen, from Middle Dutch cunnen, from Old Dutch cunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

kan (present kan, past kon)

1. can

Alak

Noun

kan

1. (Harak) woman

Alternative forms

• akan (Alak)

Further reading

• Theraphan L. Thongkum, The place of Lawi, Harak and Tariang within Bahnaric (1997), in The Mon-Khmer Studies Journal, volume 27

Awar

Noun

kan

1. tree

Further reading

• Catherine Levy, Language Research in Papua New Guinea: A Case Study of Awar (2005)

Bambara

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kã˦ã˨]

Noun

kan

1. (anatomy) neck

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Basque

Noun

kan

1. inessive singular of ka

Bikol Central

Alternative forms

• kang

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *ka-n, from Proto-Austronesian *ka

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkan/ [ˈkan̪]

Preposition

kan (Basahan spelling ᜃᜈ᜔)

1. of—objective marker for nouns or phrases other than personal names.

   Harong kan panadero.

   House of the baker.

   Aki kan magurang.

   Child of the parent/s

   Magurang kan aki.

   Parent/s of the child

See also

• kay
• ki
• nin

 

Breton

Noun

kan m

1. song

Catalan

Alternative forms

• khan (superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin chanis, from Turkic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈkan]

Noun

kan m (plural kans)

1. khan

Derived terms

• gran kan
• kanat

Further reading

• “kan” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Chuukese

Determiner

kan

1. (possessive subject marker) these

Related terms

• ekkan

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

• ka, kor

Etymology

From a variant of Middle High German gēn, gein, from gegen with elision of intervocalic -g-. Cognate with German gen; Alemannic German and Bavarian gan. Doublet of ghéghen.

Preposition

kan

1. in, at

   Ich hèrbighe kan 'Toballe, kor Baan, ka Sléeghe.

   I live in Mezzaselva, [a hamlet of] Roana, [a town in] Asiago.

2. to, towards

   Ich ghéa inn ka Sléeghe, aus kan Bèarn, au kan Triin, abe kan Ròome.

   I go east to Asiago, out west to Verona, up north to Trentino, and down south to Rome.

Further reading

• “kan” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo

Dakota

Alternative forms

• kaŋ

Adjective

kan

1. something that is very old and powerful
2. something incomprehensible but wonderful
3. something that creates or sustains life

See also

• wakaŋ

Citations

• Colette Hyman (2012) Dakota women's work : creativity, culture, and exile

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkʰanˀ], [ˈkʰan], [ˈkʰa]
• Rhymes: -a
• Rhymes: -and

Verb

kan

1. present of kunne

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɑn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: kan
• Rhymes: -ɑn

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch canne. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

kan f (plural kannen, diminutive kannetje n)

1. jug
2. pot (for tea, coffee, etc.)
3. can (cylindrical vessel)

Derived terms

• bierkan
• in kannen en kruiken
• koffiekan
• melkkan
• stroopkan
• waterkan
• wijnkan

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: kan
• Negerhollands: kanintśi (from the diminutive)
  • → Virgin Islands Creole: kaninsti (dated)
• → Japanese: 缶
• → Mahican: kánnisch
• → Papiamentu: kanika (from the diminutive)
• → Sranan Tongo: kan, kaniki, kannetje (from the diminutive)
  • → Lokono: kâna, kána, kâniki (from the diminutive)

Etymology 2

From Old French chan, from Medieval Latin canus, caanus, of Turkic origin, from Old Turkic xān (“Central Asian khan”), probably ultimately of non-Turkic (Central Asian) origin.

Noun

kan m (plural kannen, diminutive kannetje n)

1. khan (Turkish or Mongol ruler)

Derived terms

• kanaat

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

kan

1. inflection of kunnen:
   1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. imperative
   3. (archaic) plural imperative

Synonyms

• (present singular): kunt (2 sg.)- more formal

Epigraphic Mayan

Alternative forms

• chan
• ⟨𝋤⟩

Numeral

kan

1. four

French

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kan m (plural kans)

1. Alternative form of khan (“khan”)

Conjunction

kan

1. (text messaging) Abbreviation of quand.

Adverb

kan

1. (text messaging) Abbreviation of quand.

Further reading

• “kan” in Émile Littré, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1872–1877.
• “kan”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Gagauz

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *kān (“blood”).

Noun

kan (definite accusative [please provide], plural [please provide])

1. blood

German

Verb

kan

1. Obsolete spelling of kann.

Gun

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã̀/

Verb

kàn

1. to inquire

Derived terms

• kanse (“to ask”)
• kàn bíɔ́ (“to ask”)
• kàn bíọ́ (“to ask”)

 

Etymology 2

Compare Fon kán, Adja eka, Ewe ɛka, Saxwe Gbe okàn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã̀/

Noun

kàn (plural kàn lɛ́ or kàn lẹ́)

1. rope, cord

Derived terms

• tɛ̀ kàn (“to phone/call”)
• tẹ̀ kàn (“to phone/call”)

 

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã́/

Verb

kán

1. to write

Derived terms

• línlínwékántọ́ (“journalist”)

 

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French quand.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã/

Adverb

kan

1. when

Synonyms

• kilè

Hanunoo

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *ka (oblique case marker for plural personal names).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkan/ [ˈkɐn]
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: kan

Preposition

kan (Hanunoo spelling ᜣᜨ᜴)

1. used to mark oblique cases of personal nouns: to; for; of; from; at the place of

   Ati (sa) kan Luyon.

   There at Luyon's place.

Usage notes

• When referring to multiple people, use kana.

See also

• si

 

Preposition

kan (Hanunoo spelling ᜣᜨ᜴) (literary)

1. to; towards, etc.

   Synonym: sa

Further reading

• Conklin, Harold C. (1953) Hanunóo-English Vocabulary (University of California Publications in Linguistics), volume 9, London, England: University of California Press, →OCLC, page 139
• Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen; et al. (2023) “*ka₃”, in the CLDF dataset from The Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (2010–), →DOI

Hungarian

Etymology

Of unknown origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɒn]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒn

Noun

kan (plural kanok)

1. male pig

   Antonyms: koca, emse

2. male boar (wild boar)
3. male (of dogs or other domestic animals not larger than a pig)

   Antonym: szuka

4. (colloquial) hunk, stud (a man with a sexual life more active than usual)

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	kan	kanok
accusative	kant	kanokat
dative	kannak	kanoknak
instrumental	kannal	kanokkal
causal-final	kanért	kanokért
translative	kanná	kanokká
terminative	kanig	kanokig
essive-formal	kanként	kanokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	kanban	kanokban
superessive	kanon	kanokon
adessive	kannál	kanoknál
illative	kanba	kanokba
sublative	kanra	kanokra
allative	kanhoz	kanokhoz
elative	kanból	kanokból
delative	kanról	kanokról
ablative	kantól	kanoktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	kané	kanoké
non-attributive possessive - plural	kanéi	kanokéi

Possessive forms of kan
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	kanom	kanjaim
2nd person sing.	kanod	kanjaid
3rd person sing.	kanja	kanjai
1st person plural	kanunk	kanjaink
2nd person plural	kanotok	kanjaitok
3rd person plural	kanjuk	kanjaik

Derived terms

• kanász
• kanos

 

Compound words

• kandüh
• tenyészkan
• vadkan

 

Further reading

• kan in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• List of names for domestic animals (in Hungarian)

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkan/, [ˈkan]
• Rhymes: -an

• Audio (Indonesia):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Shortened form

Noun

kan (plural kan-kan)

1. Aphetic form of langkan

Adverb

kan

1. Aphetic form of bukan (“see; right”)

   Kan, sudah ku bilang jangan bermain korek api. Kini kau rasakan akibatnya. ― See, I already told you before not to play with the matches. Now you receive the consequences.

   Ini punyamu, kan? ― This is yours, right?.

2. Aphetic form of akan (“will”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dutch kan (“jug; pot (for tea, coffee, etc.); can (cylindrical vessel)”), from Middle Dutch canne.

Noun

kan (plural kan-kan)

1. jug, pot

   Synonyms: morong, teko

Further reading

• “kan” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Isnag

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, compare Malay makan.

Verb

kan

1. to eat

Japanese

Romanization

kan

1. Rōmaji transcription of かん
2. Rōmaji transcription of カン

Karaim

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *kān.

Noun

kan

1. blood

References

• N. A. Baskakov, S.M. Šapšala, editor (1973), “kan”, in Karaimsko-Russko-Polʹskij Slovarʹ [Karaim-Russian-Polish Dictionary], Moscow: Moskva, →ISBN

Kera

Noun

kan

1. water

References

• Takács, Gábor (2007) Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 201, →ISBN:

  […] we should carefully distinguish the following Ch. roots from AA *m-ˀ "water" [GT]:

  (1) Ch. *h-m "water" [GT]: […] Kwang kàām [Jng.], Kera kan [Ebert] […]

Kholosi

Etymology

From Sanskrit कर्ण (karṇá).

Noun

kan ?

1. (anatomy) ear

References

• Eric Anonby, Hassan Mohebi Bahmani (2014) “Shipwrecked and Landlocked: Kholosi, an Indo-Aryan Language in South-west Iran”, in Cahier de Studia Iranica xx‎^[2], pages 13-36

Lacandon

Etymology

From Proto-Mayan *kaahn.

Noun

kan

1. snake

Derived terms

• akꞌir chuj kan
• bʌkcheꞌkan
• chʌk kan
• ekꞌeꞌkan
• jach kan
• jachkan
• komir
• ruꞌkan
• yotꞌer kan

 

References

• Baer, Phillip, Baer, Mary, Chan Kꞌin, Manuel, Chan Kꞌin, Antonio (2018) Diccionaro maya lacandón (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 51)‎^[3] (in Spanish), Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 93

Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kan/
• Rhymes: -kan, -an

Etymology 1

Clipping of bukan.

Adverb

kan (Jawi spelling کن)

1. isn't it?

   Cantik kan baju ni?

   Isn't this dress beautiful?

Etymology 2

Clipping of akan.

Adverb

kan (Jawi spelling کن)

1. will (future)

Further reading

• “kan” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

Mandarin

Romanization

kan

1. Nonstandard spelling of kān.
2. Nonstandard spelling of kǎn.
3. Nonstandard spelling of kàn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Maranao

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, compare Malay makan.

Verb

kan

1. to eat

Marshallese

Pronunciation

• (phonetic) IPA^(key): [kɑnʲ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /kænʲ/
• Bender phonemes: {kan}

Verb

kan

1. (transitive) to eat

References

Marshallese–English Online Dictionary

Mauritian Creole

Etymology

From French quand.

Adverb

kan

1. when

Middle English

Noun

kan

1. Alternative form of canne

Musi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkaːn/

Adverb

kan

1. no
2. not

Usage notes

Kan is used to negate nouns and adverbs. To negate verbs or adjectives, use daq.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse kann.

Verb

kan

1. present of kunne

Etymology 2

Noun

kan m (definite singular kanen, indefinite plural kaner, definite plural kanene)

1. form removed with the spelling reform of 2005; superseded by khan

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• kainn, kainnj (Trøndelag eye dialect spelling)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse kann.

Alternative forms

• (non-standard since 1938) kann

Verb

kan

1. present tense of kunna and kunne

Etymology 2

Noun

kan m (definite singular kanen, indefinite plural kanar, definite plural kanane)

1. (pre-2005) alternative form of khan

Nupe

Káǹ

Etymology

From clipping of kámi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ká.ŋ̀/

Noun

káǹ

1. farm

   Synonym: latí

Romani

Etymology

Inherited from Apabhramsa 𑖎𑖜𑖿𑖜 (kaṇṇa), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀓𑀡𑁆𑀡 (kaṇṇa), from Sanskrit कर्ण (karṇa, “ear”). Cognate with Hindi कान (kān) and Punjabi ਕੰਨ (kann, “ear”).

Noun

kan m (nominative plural kana)

1. ear

Seimat

Noun

kan

1. water; fresh water

References

• Beata Wozna, Theresa Wilson, Seimat Grammar Essentials (2005)

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kâːn/
• Rhymes: -âːn

Noun

kȃn m (Cyrillic spelling ка̑н)

1. khan

Declension

Declension of kan

	singular	plural
nominative	kan	kánovi
genitive	kana	kanova
dative	kanu	kanovima
accusative	kana	kanove
vocative	kane	kanovi
locative	kanu	kanovima
instrumental	kanom	kanovima

Somali

Determiner

kan

1. this (masculine)

Spanish

Noun

kan m (plural kanes)

1. khan (ruler)

Further reading

• “kan”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kanː/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

kan

1. present of kunna

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English cunt.

Noun

kan

1. (vulgar) cunt (female genitalia)
2. (vulgar) cunt (term of abuse)

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish قان (kan, “blood”), from Proto-Turkic *kān (“blood”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kan (definite accusative kanı, plural kanlar)

1. blood
2. (dialectal) kitchen

Declension

Inflection
Nominative	kan
Definite accusative	kanı
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	kan	kanlar
Definite accusative	kanı	kanları
Dative	kana	kanlara
Locative	kanda	kanlarda
Ablative	kandan	kanlardan
Genitive	kanın	kanların
Possessive forms Nominative Singular Plural 1st singular kanım kanlarım 2nd singular kanın kanların 3rd singular kanı kanları 1st plural kanımız kanlarımız 2nd plural kanınız kanlarınız 3rd plural kanları kanları Definite accusative Singular Plural 1st singular kanımı kanlarımı 2nd singular kanını kanlarını 3rd singular kanını kanlarını 1st plural kanımızı kanlarımızı 2nd plural kanınızı kanlarınızı 3rd plural kanlarını kanlarını Dative Singular Plural 1st singular kanıma kanlarıma 2nd singular kanına kanlarına 3rd singular kanına kanlarına 1st plural kanımıza kanlarımıza 2nd plural kanınıza kanlarınıza 3rd plural kanlarına kanlarına Locative Singular Plural 1st singular kanımda kanlarımda 2nd singular kanında kanlarında 3rd singular kanında kanlarında 1st plural kanımızda kanlarımızda 2nd plural kanınızda kanlarınızda 3rd plural kanlarında kanlarında Ablative Singular Plural 1st singular kanımdan kanlarımdan 2nd singular kanından kanlarından 3rd singular kanından kanlarından 1st plural kanımızdan kanlarımızdan 2nd plural kanınızdan kanlarınızdan 3rd plural kanlarından kanlarından Genitive Singular Plural 1st singular kanımın kanlarımın 2nd singular kanının kanlarının 3rd singular kanının kanlarının 1st plural kanımızın kanlarımızın 2nd plural kanınızın kanlarınızın 3rd plural kanlarının kanlarının
Predicative forms Singular Plural 1st singular kanım kanlarım 2nd singular kansın kanlarsın 3rd singular kan kandır kanlar kanlardır 1st plural kanız kanlarız 2nd plural kansınız kanlarsınız 3rd plural kanlar kanlardır

Related terms

• kandaş
• kanlanmak
• kanlı
• kanlık
• kansız

 

Ute

Noun

kan

1. house

Wutunhua

Etymology

From Mandarin 看.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʰɑ]

Verb

kan

1. to look

References

• Erika Sandman (2016) A Grammar of Wutun‎^[4], University of Helsinki (PhD), →ISBN

Yami

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, compare Malay makan.

Verb

kan

1. to eat

Yoruba

Yoruba numbers ^(edit)

		10
		1	2  →	10  →
Cardinal: ọ̀kan, ení     Counting: oókan     Adjectival: kan, méní     Ordinal: kìíní, kìn-ín-ní     Adverbial: ẹ̀ẹ̀kan     Distributive: ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan     Collective: ọ̀kọ̀ọ̀kan

Etymology 1

Derived from oókan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ꜜkã̄/

Adjective

kan

1. one

Derived terms

• ẹ̀ẹ̀kan

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã̀/

Verb

kàn

1. to touch, to concern

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kã́/

Verb

kán

1. to break

   Synonym: fọ́

Yucatec Maya

Alternative forms

• can (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkan]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Mayan *koohng-.

Numeral

kan

1. four

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

kan (transitive)

1. to learn

Conjugation

conjugation of kan

	singular			plural
	1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
imperfective	kin kanik	ka kanik	ku kanik	k kanik	ka kanikeʼex	ku kanikoʼob
perfective	tin kanaj	ta kanaj	tu kanaj	t k kanaj	ta kanajeʼex	tu kanajoʼob
subjunctive	ka in kanej	ka a kanej	ka u kanej	ka k kanej	ka a kaneʼex	ka u kanoʼob
imperative	-	kanej	-	-	kaneʼex	-

Related terms

• kaanbal

References

• Beltrán de Santa Rosa María, Pedro (1746) Arte de el idioma maya reducido a succintas reglas, y semilexicon yucateco (in Spanish), Mexico: Por la Biuda de D. Joseph Bernardo de Hogal, page 152: “Can. Quatro. 4.”
• Montgomery, John (2004) Maya-English, English-Maya (Yucatec) Dictionary & Phrasebook, New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., →ISBN, pages 60, 203
• Yoshida, Shigeto (2009) Diccionario de la conjugación de verbos en el maya yucateco actual (in Spanish), Sendai: Tohoku University, page 31: “KAN”