can

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "can"

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence know). Compare West Frisian kinne, Dutch kunnen, Low German könen, German können, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål kunne, Swedish and Norwegian Nynorsk kunna. Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

can (third-person singular simple present can, present participle -, simple past could, past participle (obsolete except in adjectival use) couth)

  1. (auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.
    Synonym: be able to
    Antonyms: cannot, can't, can’t
    She can speak English, French, and German.   I can play football.   Can you remember your fifth birthday?
    • (Can we date this quote by Reginald Pecock and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Clerks which can write books.
    • 2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:
      Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.
    • 1611 April (first recorded performance)​, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene ii]:
      If thou canst awake by four o' the clock, / I prithee call me. Sleep hath seized me wholly.
  2. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
    Synonym: may
    You can go outside and play when you're finished with your homework.   Can I use your pen?
  3. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible.
    Can it be Friday already?
    Teenagers can really try their parents' patience.
    Animals can experience emotions.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. […] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival?
    • 2009, Sym, Annette, Simply Too Good to be True, Greenleaf Book Group, →ISBN, page 4:
      Teenagers can be so cruel, and nicknames cut deep.
  4. (auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception.
    Can you hear that?.
    I can feel the baby moving inside me.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To know.
    Synonyms: cognize, grok, ken
Usage notes[edit]
  • For missing forms, substitute inflected forms of be able to, as:
    • I might be able to go.
    • I was able to go yesterday.
    • I have been able to go, since I was seven.
    • I had been able to go before.
    • I will be able to go tomorrow.
  • The word could also suffices in many tenses. “I would be able to go” is equivalent to “I could go”, and “I was unable to go” can be rendered “I could not go”. (Unless there is a clear indication otherwise, “could verb” means “would be able to verb”, but “could not verb” means “was/were unable to verb”.)
  • The present tense negative can not is usually contracted to cannot (more formal) or can’t (less formal).
  • The use of can in asking permission sometimes is criticized as being impolite or incorrect by those who favour the more formal alternative “may I...?”.
  • Can is sometimes used rhetorically to issue a command, placing the command in the form of a request. For instance, “Can you hand me that pen?” as a polite substitution for “Hand me that pen.”
  • Some US dialects that glottalize the final /t/ in can’t (/kæn(ʔ)/), in order to differentiate can’t from can, pronounce can as /kɛn/ even when stressed.
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English canne, from Old English canne (“glass, container, cup, can”), from Proto-Germanic *kannǭ (“can, tankard, mug, cup”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gan-, *gandʰ- (“a vessel”). Cognate with Scots can (“can”), West Frisian kanne (“a jug, pitcher”), Dutch kan (“pot, mug”), German Kanne (“can, tankard, mug”), Danish kande (“can, mug, a measure”), Swedish kanna (“can, tankard, mug”), Icelandic kanna (“a can”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

a can (3)

can (plural cans)

  1. A more or less cylindrical vessel for liquids, usually of steel or aluminium, but sometimes of plastic, and with a carrying handle over the top.
  2. A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can).
  3. A tin-plate canister, often cylindrical, for preserved foods such as fruit, meat, or fish.
  4. (archaic) A chamber pot, now (US, slang) a toilet or lavatory.
    Shit or get off the can.
    Bob's in the can. You can wait a few minutes or just leave it with me.
  5. (US, slang) Buttocks.
  6. (slang) Jail or prison.
    Bob's in the can. He won't be back for a few years.
  7. (slang, in the plural) Headphones.
  8. (archaic) A drinking cup.
  9. (nautical) A cube-shaped buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark
  10. A chimney pot.
Synonyms[edit]
Hyponyms[edit]
Hyponyms of can (Etymology 2)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Related terms of can (Etymology 2)
Translations[edit]
chamber pot — see chamber pot
non-offensive slang for toilet — See also translations at toilet
lavatory — see lavatory
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb[edit]

can (third-person singular simple present cans, present participle canning, simple past and past participle canned)

  1. To seal in a can.
    They canned air to sell as a novelty to tourists.
  2. To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
    They spent August canning fruit and vegetables.
  3. To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
    He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail.
  4. (transitive, slang) To shut up.
    Can your gob.
  5. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee.
    The boss canned him for speaking out.
  6. (golf, slang, transitive) To hole the ball.
    • 1958, Mayer, Dick, How to Think and Swing Like a Golf Champion, page 186:
      I thought I had canned it, but it just missed, and I tapped in the second one for a par.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Afar[edit]

Noun[edit]

can

  1. milk

Aragonese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog

References[edit]

Asturian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural canes)

  1. dog (animal)

Synonyms[edit]

Azerbaijani[edit]

Other scripts
Cyrillicҹан
Romancan
Perso-Arabicجان‎

Etymology[edit]

From Persian جان‎ (jân).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): [d͡ʒɑn], [d͡zɑn]

Noun[edit]

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

  1. soul, spirit
  2. being, creature, life
  3. body
  4. force, vigour

Declension[edit]

Declension of can
singularplural
nominativecancanlar
definite accusativecanıcanları
dativecanacanlara
locativecandacanlarda
ablativecandancanlardan
definite genitivecanıncanların
Possessive forms of can
nominative
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımcanlarım
sənin (“your”)canıncanların
onun (“his/her/its”)canıcanları
bizim (“our”)canımızcanlarımız
sizin (“your”)canınızcanlarınız
onların (“their”)canı or canlarıcanları
accusative
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımıcanlarımı
sənin (“your”)canınıcanlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)canınıcanlarını
bizim (“our”)canımızıcanlarımızı
sizin (“your”)canınızıcanlarınızı
onların (“their”)canını or canlarınıcanlarını
dative
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımacanlarıma
sənin (“your”)canınacanlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)canınacanlarına
bizim (“our”)canımızacanlarımıza
sizin (“your”)canınızacanlarınıza
onların (“their”)canına or canlarınacanlarına
locative
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımdacanlarımda
sənin (“your”)canındacanlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)canındacanlarında
bizim (“our”)canımızdacanlarımızda
sizin (“your”)canınızdacanlarınızda
onların (“their”)canında or canlarındacanlarında
ablative
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımdancanlarımdan
sənin (“your”)canındancanlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)canındancanlarından
bizim (“our”)canımızdancanlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)canınızdancanlarınızdan
onların (“their”)canından or canlarındancanlarından
genitive
singularplural
mənim (“my”)canımıncanlarımın
sənin (“your”)canınıncanlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)canınıncanlarının
bizim (“our”)canımızıncanlarımızın
sizin (“your”)canınızıncanlarınızın
onların (“their”)canının or canlarınıncanlarının

Derived terms[edit]

Catalan[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Contraction[edit]

can

  1. Contraction of ca en (“the house of”).

Further reading[edit]

Classical Nahuatl[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

cān

  1. where

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Galician[edit]

Can ("dog")

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Galician and Old Portuguese can, from Latin canis, canem. Cognate with Portuguese cão.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog
  2. (historical) 20th century 5, 10 cents of peseta coin
Related terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Old Galician and Old Portuguese quan, from Latin quam. Cognate with Portuguese quão and Spanish cuan.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cans)

  1. khan

Etymology 3[edit]

Ultimately from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cans)

  1. khan

References[edit]

  • “can” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006-2012.
  • “can” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
  • “can” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
  • “can” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
  • “can” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Interlingua[edit]

Noun[edit]

can (plural canes)

  1. dog
  2. cock, hammer (of a firearm)

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Irish canaid, from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian خواندن‎ (xândan).

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

can (present analytic canann, future analytic canfaidh, verbal noun canadh, past participle canta)

  1. to sing
    • 2015, Proinsias Mac a' Bhaird, transl.; Maura McHugh, editor, Amhrán na Mara (fiction, paperback), Kilkenny, County Kilkenny; Howth, Dublin: Cartoon Saloon; Coiscéim, translation of Song of the Sea by Will Collins, →ISBN, page 1:
      Thuas i dteach an tsolais, faoi réaltaí geala, canann Bronach Amhrán na Mara dá mac Ben atá cúig bliana d'aois.
      Up in the lighthouse, under twinkling stars, Bronach sings the Song of the Sea to her five-year-old son, Ben.

Conjugation[edit]

First Conjugation (A)
singularpluralrelativeautonomous
firstsecondthirdfirstsecondthird
indicativepresentcanaimcanann tú;
canair†		canann sé, sícanaimidcanann sibhcanann siad;
canaid†		a chanann; a chanas /
a gcanann*; a gcanas*		cantar
pastchan mé; chanaschan tú; chanaischan sé, síchanamar; chan muidchan sibh; chanabhairchan siad; chanadara chan /
ar chan*		canadh
past habitualchanainn / gcanainn‡‡chantá / gcantᇇchanadh sé, sí / gcanadh sé, s퇇chanaimis; chanadh muid / gcanaimis‡‡; gcanadh muid‡‡chanadh sibh / gcanadh sibh‡‡chanaidís; chanadh siad / gcanaidís‡‡; gcanadh siad‡‡a chanadh /
a gcanadh*		chantaí / gcanta퇇
futurecanfaidh mé;
canfad		canfaidh tú;
canfair†		canfaidh sé, sícanfaimid;
canfaidh muid		canfaidh sibhcanfaidh siad;
canfaid†		a chanfaidh; a chanfas /
a gcanfaidh*; a gcanfas*		canfar
conditionalchanfainn / gcanfainn‡‡chanfá / gcanfᇇchanfadh sé, sí / gcanfadh sé, s퇇chanfaimis; chanfadh muid / gcanfaimis‡‡; gcanfadh muid‡‡chanfadh sibh / gcanfadh sibh‡‡chanfaidís; chanfadh siad / gcanfaidís‡‡; gcanfadh siad‡‡a chanfadh /
a gcanfadh*		chanfaí / gcanfa퇇
subjunctivepresentgo gcana mé;
go gcanad†		go gcana tú;
go gcanair†		go gcana sé, sígo gcanaimid;
go gcana muid		go gcana sibhgo gcana siad;
go gcanaid†		—go gcantar
pastdá gcanainndá gcantádá gcanadh sé, sídá gcanaimis;
dá gcanadh muid		dá gcanadh sibhdá gcanaidís;
dá gcanadh siad		—dá gcantaí
imperativecanaimcancanadh sé, sícanaimiscanaigí;
canaidh†		canaidís—cantar
verbal nouncanadh
past participlecanta

* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation[edit]

Irish mutation
RadicalLenitionEclipsis
canchangcan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Istriot[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis.

Noun[edit]

can m

  1. dog

Italian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Turkic.

Alternative forms[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (invariable)

  1. Obsolete spelling of khan

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the main entry.

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cani)

  1. (poetic, literary) Apocopic form of cane; dog

Kurdish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Related to Persian جان‎ (jân).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can ?

  1. soul

Ligurian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis, canem.

Noun[edit]

can m (plural chen)

  1. dog

Mandarin[edit]

Romanization[edit]

can

  1. Nonstandard spelling of cān.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of cán.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of cǎn.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of càn.

Usage notes[edit]

  • English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Middle Dutch[edit]

Verb[edit]

can

  1. first/third-person singular present indicative of connen

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

can

  1. Alternative form of canne

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Occitan [Term?], from Latin canis, canem.

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cans, feminine canha, feminine plural canhas)

  1. dog, hound

Old Occitan[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin quandō.

Conjunction[edit]

can

  1. when
    • circa 1200, Peire Vidal, Ab l'alen tir vas me l'aire:
      Tan m'es bel quan n'aug ben dire.
      So much it pleases me when I hear it spoken of well.

Adverb[edit]

can

  1. (interrogative) when

Descendants[edit]

  • Catalan: quan
  • Occitan: quand

Old Portuguese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis (“dog”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m

  1. dog

Descendants[edit]

Scots[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence know).

Verb[edit]

can (third-person singular present can, past cud)

  1. can
  2. be able to
    He shuid can dae that. ― He should be able to do that.

Derived terms[edit]

Scottish Gaelic[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Irish canaid (“to sing”), from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian خواندن‎ (xândan).

Verb[edit]

can (past chan, future canaidh, verbal noun cantainn, past participle cante)

  1. to say

References[edit]

  • “can” in Edward Dwelly, Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1911, →ISBN.

Spanish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis, canem (compare Aromanian cãne, Catalan ca, Occitan can, French chien, Italian cane, Portuguese cão), from Proto-Italic *kō (accusative *kwanem), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (accusative *ḱwónm̥).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural canes)

  1. (formal) dog, hound
    Synonyms: perro, chucho (colloquial)

Hypernyms[edit]

Hyponyms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Turkish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowing from Persian جان‎ (jân, “soul, vital spirit, life”). Cognate with English quick.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

  1. soul, life, being
  2. sweetheart

Declension[edit]

Inflection
Nominativecan
Definite accusativecanı
SingularPlural
Nominativecancanlar
Definite accusativecanıcanları
Dativecanacanlara
Locativecandacanlarda
Ablativecandancanlardan
Genitivecanıncanların
Possessive forms
SingularPlural
1st singularcanımcanlarım
2nd singularcanıncanların
3rd singularcanıcanları
1st pluralcanımızcanlarımız
2nd pluralcanınızcanlarınız
3rd pluralcanlarıcanları

See also[edit]

Venetian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin canis, canem.

Venetian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia vec

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

can m (plural cani)

  1. dog

Vietnamese[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 肝.

Noun[edit]

can

  1. (alternative medicine) Synonym of gan (“liver”)

Etymology 2[edit]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 干.

Noun[edit]

can

  1. Short for Thiên Can (“celestial stem”).

Verb[edit]

can

  1. to concern; to apply to
  2. to be involved (in); to be implicated (in)

Etymology 3[edit]

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 諫 (SV: gián).

Verb[edit]

can

  1. to dissuade (someone from doing something); to intervene

Etymology 4[edit]

From English canne.

Noun[edit]

(classifier cây, cái) can

  1. walking stick

Etymology 5[edit]

Verb[edit]

can

  1. to join; to unite; to sew together

Etymology 6[edit]

From French calque.

Verb[edit]

can

  1. to trace (through translucent paper), to do tracing
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms

Volapük[edit]

Noun[edit]

can (nominative plural cans)

  1. sales commodity, merchandise, wares

Declension[edit]

declension of can
singularplural
nominativecancans
genitivecanacanas
dativecanecanes
accusativecanicanis
vocative 1o can!o cans!
predicative 2canucanus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in later, non-classical Volapük only

Welsh[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA(key): /kan/

Etymology 1[edit]

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

Adjective[edit]

can

  1. bleached, white

Noun[edit]

can m (plural caniau)

  1. flour

Etymology 2[edit]

From Proto-Celtic *kantom (“hundred”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm.

Adjective[edit]

can

  1. hundred

Etymology 3[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

can m (plural caniau)

  1. a can

Mutation[edit]

Welsh mutation
radicalsoftnasalaspirate
cangannghanchan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950-), “can”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Definition from the BBC.

Yucatec Maya[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Numeral[edit]

can

  1. Obsolete spelling of kan

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

can

  1. Obsolete spelling of kaan
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