to know can, to be able 6 realizations Multi-area
ACCEPTED Realization 1 (ID: 31878)
type Polysemy
language Abkhaz
lexeme адырра (adərra)
meaning 1 to know
direction
meaning 2 can, to be able
reference Genko 1998: 85
comment
ACCEPTED Realization 2 (ID: 10592)
type Cognates
language 1 Amharic
language 2 Zway
lexeme 1 c̆alä
lexeme 2 čāl
meaning 1 to be able, can, be capable of
direction
meaning 2 to know ʔēnɛ yɛbɛlɛyhum čāl
He knows that he ate his dinner.
reference AED: 1004 EDG: 174 Meyer 2005: 286
comment Goes back to root PWS *khl 'to be able, can' [Kogan 2015: 86; EDG 173, 368]. Cf. also, in Chaha, Ezha, Ennemor, Gyeto, Mesqan xarä, Ennemor harä etc. 'to know, recognize' [EDG 368].
ACCEPTED Realization 3 (ID: 2078)
type Polysemy
language Farsi
lexeme -دان dān-
meaning 1 to be able
direction
meaning 2 to know, to be informed
reference
comment ПРС 335.
ACCEPTED Realization 4 (ID: 47553)
type Internal cognates
language German
lexeme 1 können
lexeme 2 kennen
meaning 1 to know

wir kennen diesen jungen Mann


We know this young man

direction
meaning 2 can, to be able

ich komme, sobald ich kann



I'll come as soon as I can.

reference DWDS
comment
NEW Realization 5 (ID: 52119)
type Semantic evolution
language 1 Old English
language 2 English
lexeme 1 cunnan
lexeme 2 can
meaning 1 to know
direction
meaning 2 can, to be able
reference OED: 332
comment

Bybee J. L., Perkins R., Pagliuca W. The evolution of grammar: Tense, as­pect and modality in the languages of the world. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994б , p. 192:

Can predicates that

(i) mental enabling conditions exist in the agent

(ii) enabling conditions exist in the agent

(iii) enabling conditions exist

for the completion of the main predicate situation.

ACCEPTED Realization 6 (ID: 40993)
type Polysemy
language Sumerian
lexeme zu
meaning 1 to be able to
direction
meaning 2 to know
reference ePSD2
comment