Open main menu
Wiktionary

can

See also: Appendix:Variations of "can"

Contents

EnglishEdit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1Edit

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. More at canny, cunning.

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

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.
    She can speak English, French, and German.   I can play football.   Can you remember your fifth birthday?
    • (Can we date this quote?) Reginald Pecock
      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.
  2. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
    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, Annette Sym, 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.
Usage notesEdit
  • 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.
SynonymsEdit
AntonymsEdit
TranslationsEdit
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 alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

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”).

PronunciationEdit

  This entry needs audio files. If you have a microphone, please record some and upload them. (For audio required quickly, visit WT:APR.)

NounEdit

 
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, plural) Headphones.
  8. (archaic) A drinking cup.
    • Shakespeare, Twelfth Night II.iii
      SIR ANDREW: Nay, my troth, I know not: but I know, to be up late is to be up late.
      SIR TOBY: A false conclusion: I hate it as an unfilled can.
    • Tennyson
      Fill the cup and fill the can, / Have a rouse before the morn.
  9. (nautical) A cube-shaped buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark
  10. A chimney pot.
SynonymsEdit
HyponymsEdit
Hyponyms of can (Etymology 2)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
Related terms of can (Etymology 2)
TranslationsEdit
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

VerbEdit

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

  1. To preserve, by heating and sealing in a can or jar.
    They spent August canning fruit and vegetables.
  2. to discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
    He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail.
  3. To shut up.
    Can your gob.
  4. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee.
    The boss canned him for speaking out.
TranslationsEdit

AnagramsEdit

AfarEdit

NounEdit

can

  1. milk

AsturianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin canis, canem.

NounEdit

can m (plural canes)

  1. dog (animal)

SynonymsEdit

AzerbaijaniEdit

Other scripts
Cyrillic ҹан
Roman can
Perso-Arabic جان‎

EtymologyEdit

From Persian جان‎ (jân).

NounEdit

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

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

DeclensionEdit

Declension of can
singular plural
nominative can canlar
definite accusative canı canları
dative cana canlara
locative canda canlarda
ablative candan canlardan
definite genitive canın canların
Possessive forms of can
nominative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canım canlarım
sənin (“your”) canın canların
onun (“his/her/its”) canı canları
bizim (“our”) canımız canlarımız
sizin (“your”) canınız canlarınız
onların (“their”) canı canları
accusative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canımı canlarımı
sənin (“your”) canını canlarını
onun (“his/her/its”) canını canlarını
bizim (“our”) canımızı canlarımızı
sizin (“your”) canınızı canlarınızı
onların (“their”) canını canlarını
dative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canıma canlarıma
sənin (“your”) canına canlarına
onun (“his/her/its”) canına canlarına
bizim (“our”) canımıza canlarımıza
sizin (“your”) canınıza canlarınıza
onların (“their”) canına canlarına
locative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canımda canlarımda
sənin (“your”) canında canlarında
onun (“his/her/its”) canında canlarında
bizim (“our”) canımızda canlarımızda
sizin (“your”) canınızda canlarınızda
onların (“their”) canında canlarında
ablative
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canımdan canlarımdan
sənin (“your”) canından canlarından
onun (“his/her/its”) canından canlarından
bizim (“our”) canımızdan canlarımızdan
sizin (“your”) canınızdan canlarınızdan
onların (“their”) canından canlarından
genitive
singular plural
mənim (“my”) canımın canlarımın
sənin (“your”) canının canlarının
onun (“his/her/its”) canının canlarının
bizim (“our”) canımızın canlarımızın
sizin (“your”) canınızın canlarınızın
onların (“their”) canının canlarının

CatalanEdit

PronunciationEdit

ContractionEdit

can

  1. Contraction of ca en.

Further readingEdit

Classical NahuatlEdit

Alternative formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

AdverbEdit

cān

  1. where

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

GalicianEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Old Portuguese can, from Latin canis, canem.

NounEdit

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog
Related termsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

NounEdit

can m (plural cans)

  1. trigger

InterlinguaEdit

NounEdit

can (plural canes)

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

IrishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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).

PronunciationEdit

VerbEdit

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

  1. to sing

ConjugationEdit

First Conjugation (A)
singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
indicative present canaim canann tú;
canair†		 canann sé, sí canaimid canann sibh canann siad;
canaid†		 a chanann; a chanas /
a gcanann*; a gcanas* 		cantar
past chan mé; chanas chan tú; chanais chan sé, sí chanamar; chan muid chan sibh; chanabhair chan siad; chanadar a chan /
ar chan* 		canadh
past habitual chanainn chantá chanadh sé, sí chanaimis; chanadh muid chanadh sibh chanaidís; chanadh siad a chanadh /
ar chanadh* 		chantaí
future canfaidh mé;
canfad 		canfaidh tú;
canfair†		 canfaidh sé, sí canfaimid;
canfaidh muid 		canfaidh sibh canfaidh siad;
canfaid†		 a chanfaidh; a chanfas /
a gcanfaidh*; a gcanfas* 		canfar
conditional chanfainn / gcanfainn‡‡ chanfá / gcanfᇇ chanfadh sé, sí / gcanfadh sé, s퇇 chanfaimis; chanfadh muid / gcanfaimis‡‡; gcanfadh muid‡‡ chanfadh sibh / gcanfadh sibh‡‡ chanfaidís; chanfadh siad / gcanfaidís‡‡; gcanfadh siad‡‡ a chanfadh /
ar chanfadh* 		chanfaí / gcanfa퇇
subjunctive present go gcana mé;
go gcanad†		 go gcana tú;
go gcanair†		 go gcana sé, sí go gcanaimid;
go gcana muid 		go gcana sibh go gcana siad;
go gcanaid†		 — go gcantar
past dá gcanainn dá gcantá dá gcanadh sé, sí dá gcanaimis;
dá gcanadh muid 		dá gcanadh sibh dá gcanaidís;
dá gcanadh siad 		— dá gcantaí
imperative canaim can canadh sé, sí canaimis canaigí;
canaidh†		 canaidís — cantar
verbal noun canadh
past participle canta

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

MutationEdit

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
can chan gcan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

IstriotEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin canis.

NounEdit

can m

  1. dog

ItalianEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Turkic.

Alternative formsEdit

NounEdit

can m (invariable)

  1. Obsolete spelling of khan

Etymology 2Edit

See the etymology of the main entry.

NounEdit

can m (plural cani)

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

KurdishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Related to Persian جان‎ (jân).

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

can ?

  1. soul

LigurianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin canis, canem.

NounEdit

can m (plural chen)

  1. dog

MandarinEdit

RomanizationEdit

can

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

Usage notesEdit

  • 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 DutchEdit

Middle EnglishEdit

NounEdit

can

  1. Alternative form of canne

OccitanEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

NounEdit

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog, hound

Old OccitanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin quandō.

ConjunctionEdit

can

  1. when

AdverbEdit

can

  1. (interrogative) when

DescendantsEdit

Old PortugueseEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

can m

  1. dog

DescendantsEdit

ScotsEdit

EtymologyEdit

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).

VerbEdit

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 termsEdit

Scottish GaelicEdit

EtymologyEdit

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).

VerbEdit

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

  1. to say

ReferencesEdit

SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

can m (plural canes)

  1. dog, hound

SynonymsEdit

HypernymsEdit

HyponymsEdit

Related termsEdit

TurkishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

  1. soul, life, being
  2. sweetheart

DeclensionEdit

Inflection
Nominative can
Definite accusative canı
Singular Plural
Nominative can canlar
Definite accusative canı canları
Dative cana canlara
Locative canda canlarda
Ablative candan canlardan
Genitive canın canların
Possessive forms
Singular Plural
1st singular canım canlarım
2nd singular canın canların
3rd singular canı canları
1st plural canımız canlarımız
2nd plural canınız canlarınız
3rd plural canları canları

See alsoEdit

VenetianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin canis, canem.

 
Venetian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia vec

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

can m (plural cani)

  1. dog

VietnameseEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

Sino-Vietnamese word from 肝.

NounEdit

can

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

Etymology 2Edit

Sino-Vietnamese word from 干.

NounEdit

can

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

VerbEdit

can

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

Etymology 3Edit

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

VerbEdit

can

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

Etymology 4Edit

From English canne.

NounEdit

(classifier cây, cái) can

  1. walking stick

Etymology 5Edit

VerbEdit

can

  1. to join; to unite; to sew together

Etymology 6Edit

From French calque.

VerbEdit

can

  1. to trace (through translucent paper), to do tracing
Derived termsEdit
Derived terms

VolapükEdit

NounEdit

can (plural cans)

  1. sales commodity, merchandise, wares

DeclensionEdit

declension of can
singular plural
nominative can cans
genitive cana canas
dative cane canes
accusative cani canis
vocative 1 o can! o cans!
predicative 2 canu canus
  • 1 status as a case is disputed
  • 2 in some later, non-classical Volapük only

WelshEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

  This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page per etymology instructions. You can also discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.

AdjectiveEdit

can

  1. bleached, white

NounEdit

can m (plural caniau)

  1. flour

Etymology 2Edit

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

AdjectiveEdit

can

  1. hundred

Etymology 3Edit

  This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page per etymology instructions. You can also discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.

NounEdit

can m (plural caniau)

  1. a can

MutationEdit

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
can gan nghan chan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=can&oldid=50755492"