[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/knew/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [K](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/k/) / knew

# knew

verb, past tense of know

«knew» in the English dictionary: Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Early Modern English

### Meaning

To be aware of someone or to recognise them; in the third sentence, to have chosen or loved someone before they were born. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/K/knew/#m1)

### Then and now

Today "knew" means to understand or be aware of something. The third sentence uses an old sense, meaning to have a close, chosen bond with a person, and "knew" in the first sentence is closer to "recognised".

### Examples

- And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not. (Torah GEN.42.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/K/knew/#x1)
- No one knew what to do. (Fifty Famous Stories Retold) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/K/knew/#x2)
- Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee." Rabbi Luria, gives the Hebrew version which I have translated. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/K/knew/#x3)

### Note

Today: recognised; had intimate knowledge of.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «knew» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/K/knew/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«knew» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/knew.html) on Mova free.