ken
UK: kɛn | US: kɛn
n. 1. Range of knowledge or perception.
n. 2. (Scottish) A house or dwelling.
vt. (Archaic) To know or recognize.
The word "ken" traces back to Old English cennan (to declare, know) and Old Norse kenna (to perceive, teach). It originally meant "to know" or "to make known," evolving into a noun denoting the scope of one's knowledge or perception. In Scottish dialects, it took on the meaning of "a house," possibly from the idea of a familiar or known place. The verb form is now archaic but survives in phrases like "beyond one’s ken."
The topic was beyond my ken, so I stayed quiet.
He built a small ken by the river.
(Archaic) "I ken him well," she whispered.
The scientist’s ken of quantum physics is impressive.
In the Highlands, a traditional ken might have a thatched roof.