Căn1, v.
v. Began;—used rarely for gan, began, in old poetry.
With gentle words he can her fairly greet. Spenser.
4 entries under this word
Can
Căn2, n.
n. [A-S. canne, D. kan, O. H. Ger. & Sw. kanne, N. H. Ger. kanne, from Lat. canna, reed, a small vessel, Gr. κάννα, or κάννη, reed, and any thing made from it.] A cup or vessel for liquors, in modern times made of metal. “Relish a can of wine well.” Beau. & Fl.
Căn3, v. i.
v. i. [imp. COULD.] [A-S. cunnan, pres. tense ic cann or can, thu canst or cunne, he can or cann, pl. cunnon, imp. ic cādhe, thu cādhest, he cādhe, pl. cādhon, pret. cādh, gecādh, O. Sax. cunnan, Goth. kunnan, Icel. kunna, pres. kann, Sw. kunna, Dan. kunne, O. Fries. kanna, O. H. Ger. kunnan, M. H. Ger. kunnen, künnen, N. H. Ger. können, D. kunnen, to know, and to be able. Cf. CUNNING.] To be able; to have power, either physical or moral. It is an auxiliary verb which modifies the meaning of another. Also, to have knowledge or skill. [Obs.]
Synonyms—CAN BUT, CAN NOT BUT. It is an error of many persons to use the former of these phrases where the sense requires the latter. If we say, “I can but perish if I go,” “but” means only, and denotes that this is all or the worst that can happen. When the apostle Peter said, “We can not but speak of the things which we have seen and heard,” he referred to a moral constraint or necessity which rested upon him and his associates; and the meaning was, “We can not (morally) do any thing except thus speak.” This idea of a moral necessity or constraint is of frequent occurrence, and is also expressed in the phrase, “I can not help it.” Thus we say, “I can not but hope,” “I can not but believe,” “I can not but think,” “I can not but remark,” &c., &c.; in all which cases it would be a gross error to use the phrase can but. It is an error, however, into which some of our writers frequently fall, who are otherwise distinguished for their accuracy.
In history we can but study character in relation to events, to situations and circumstances, which disguise and encumber it; we are left to imagine, to infer, what certain people must have been, from the manner in which they have acted or suffered. Mrs. Jameson.
He could but write in proportion as he read, and empty his commonplace as fast only as he filled it. W. Scott.
Yet he could not but acknowledge to himself that there was something calculated to impress awe, . . . in the sudden appearances and vanishings . . . of the masque. De Quincey.
Tom felt that this was a rebuff for him, and could not but understand it as a left-handed hit at his employer. Dickens.
Căn4, v. t.
v. t. To know. [Obs.] I can rimes of Robin Hood and Robin earl of Chester: Piers Plowman.