couth

couth · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵneh₃-“to know”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kunnaną“to be familiar with, know, recognize; to be able, know how”
3. Old English · inherited fromcūþ“familiar, intimate, known, usual; certain, plain, manifest; famous, noted, well-known; excellent; friendly; related”
4. Middle English · inherited fromcouth“familiar, known; evident, true; famous, respected, well-known; genteel, having good manners”
5. English todaycouth

From Middle English couth (“familiar, known; evident, true; famous, respected, well-known; genteel, having good manners”), from Old English cūþ (“familiar, intimate, known, usual; certain, plain, manifest; famous, noted, well-known; excellent; friendly; related”), past participle of cunnan (“to be familiar with, know; can, to be able, know how”), from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to be familiar with, know, recognize; to be able, know how”) (compare *kunþaz (“known”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). The word is cognate with Dutch kond (“known”), Saterland Frisian cut (“known”), Gothic 𐌺𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃 (kunþs, “known”), Icelandic kuður, kunnur (“known”), Latin gnosco (“to know”), Old High German kund, chund, chunt, Middle High German kunt (modern German kund (“known”)), Old Saxon kūth, cûth, cuð (“known; famous, renowned”), Scots couth (“familiar, known”); and is a doublet of could.

couth · adjective, noun²

Back-formation from uncouth.

Words from the same roots