Skip to content

The word for today is…

ken (noun, verb):

noun

1: the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge
2a: the range of vision
b: sight, view

verb

1 archaic : see
2 chiefly dialectal : recognize
3 chiefly Scotland : know

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Ken is a word that can encompass all that one perceives, understands, or knows. Of course, whether someone is a president, writer, physicist, diplomat or journalist, everyone has their own personal ken. So when someone says something is “beyond” it, they’re not admitting to being a fool, only that the topic or question at hand is beyond their particular range of knowledge or expertise. Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century referring to the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea (about 20 miles), and would thus have been familiar to skippers in particular. Its meaning soon broadened, however, to mean “range of vision” or “sight” on land or sea. Today ken rarely suggests literal sight, but rather the extent of what one can metaphorically “see.”

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest