Emily Dickinson Lexicon

KEN, v.t. [W. ceniaw, to see; ceiniaw, to take a view, to perceive; which Owen deduces from càn, cain, clear, bright, fair, white, and sight, brightness, and this coincides with L. canus, white, caneo, to be white, and this with L. cano, to sing, canto, Eng. to cant, to chant. These coincide in elements with G. kennen, to know, erkennen, to see, know, discern; D. kennen, Sw. kunna, Dan. kiender, to know, to be able; Sax. connan, cunnan, Goth. kunnan, to know. In Sax. cennan is to bear, L. gigno, Gr. γενναω. The radical sense is to strain, extend, reach. In Sans. kanna is an eye. See Can.]

1. To see at a distance; to descry. We ken them from afar. – Addison.
2. To know; to understand. [Obs.] – Shak. Gay. [This verb is used chiefly in poetry.]