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Origin and history of could

could(v.)

Old English cuðe, past tense of cunnan "to be able" (see can (v.1)); ending changed 14c. to standard English -d(e). The unetymological -l- was added 15c.-16c. on model of would, should, where it is historical. Could be as a response to a suggestion, indicating it may be correct, is by 1938.

Entries linking to could

can(v.1)

Old English 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of cunnan "to know," less commonly as an auxiliary, "have power to, to be able," (also "have carnal knowledge"), from Proto-Germanic *kunnjanan "be mentally able, have learned" (source also of Old Norse kenna "become acquainted, try," Old Frisian kanna "recognize, admit, know," German kennen "know," Middle Dutch kennen "know," Gothic kannjan "make known"), from PIE root *gno- "to know."

It holds now only the third sense of "know," that of "know how to do something" (as opposed to "know as a fact" and "be acquainted with" something or someone). Also used in the sense of may, denoting mere permission. An Old English preterite-present verb, its original past participle, couth, survived only in negation (see uncouth), but compare could. The present participle has spun off with a deflected sense as cunning.

should

c. 1200, from Old English sceolde, past tense of sceal (see shall). Preserves the original notion of "obligation" that has all but dropped from shall. Noun should-be "what ought to be" is by 1790.

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couth
Middle English couth "known, well-known; usual, customary," from Old English cuðe "known," past participle of cunnan "to know," less commonly "to have power to, to be able" (see can (v.1)). As a past participle it died out 16c. with the emergence of could, but the old word was re
look
Expression if looks could kill ..., of one seething silently, is attested by 1827 (if looks could bite is attested from 1747...
Peter Pan
Standing on the ledge he could see trees far away, which were doubtless the Kensington Gardens, and the moment he saw them...It is wonderful that he could fly without wings, but the place itched tremendously, and, perhaps we could all fly if we were...
idealist
It seems even incredible, that any Idealist in any age could forget himself so far as to run his head against a post, merely...because he found in his system, that no external world does exist, and that therefore nothing could be without to hurt him...
correspond
Originally in Medieval Latin of two things in mutual action, but by later Medieval Latin it could be used of one thing only...communication with" is from c. 1600; specifically "to communicate by means of letters" from 1640s (in mid-18c. it also could...
hide
notion was of "amount of land needed to feed one free family and dependents," usually 100 or 120 acres, but the amount could...Often also defined as "as much land as could be tilled by one plow in a year." Translated in Latin as familia....
hospital
The Latin adjective use continued in Old French, where ospital also could mean "hospitable" and ospitalite could mean "hospital...
India
"the Indian subcontinent, central Asia south of the Himalayas," formerly sometimes used generally for "Asia;" Old English India, Indea, from Latin India, from Greek India "region of the Indus River," later used of the region beyond it, from Indos "Indus River," also "an Indian,"
retreat
c. 1300, retrete, "a step backward;" late 14c., "act of retiring or withdrawing; military signal for retiring from action or exercise," from Old French retret, retrait, noun use of past participle of retrere "draw back," from Latin retrahere "draw back, withdraw, call back," from
realism
"the doctrine of a realist," in any sense of that word, 1794, originally in philosophy, from real (adj.) + -ism; after French réalisme or German Realismus; from Late Latin realis "real." In reference to scholastic doctrine of Thomas Aquinas (opposed to nominalism), it is recorded

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