cynn

Meaning

1. kind

   Twā forhæfdnesse cynn sind. Ān is līchamlīċ, ōðer gāstlīċ.

   There are two kinds of restraint. One is physical, the other spiritual.

   c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. John the Baptist"

2. race, species

   Tigris is ān ēa and ānes cynnes dēor.

   Tigris [Latin for "tiger"] is a river and a species of animal.

   c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

3. people, tribe, nation

   ⁊ hē onfeng, ⁊ sē cyning him sealde fēower mæssepreostas, þā sċeoldon his þēode fulwian ⁊ lǣran, ðā wǣron ġe on ġelǣrednesse ġe on heora līfe micle ⁊ goode; ond hē mid micle ġefēan swā wæs eft hām hweorfende. Wǣron þa mæssepreostas þus hātne, Ċedd ⁊ Adda ⁊ Bete ⁊ Deoma. Sē nȳhsta wæs Sċyttisċes cynnes; þā ōðre wǣron Englisċe. And he re

   late 9th century, translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

4. family (especially regarding a lineage)

   Be þām hringum man meahte witan hwæt Rōmāna duguþe ġefeallen wæs, for þon þe hit wæs þēaw mid him on þām dagum þæt nān ōðer ne mōste gyldenne hring werian būtan hē æðeles cynnes wǣre.

   You could tell by the rings how much of the Roman nobility had fallen, because the custom back then was that no one could wear a gold ring unless they were from a noble family.

   late 9th century, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans

5. gender

   Is ēac tō witenne þæt naman bēoþ oft ōðres cynnes on Lǣden and ōðres cynnes on Englisċ.

   Note also that nouns are often one gender in Latin and another gender in English.

   c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

6. natural gender

Declension