A dialectal or archaic word for a cunning person or someone who is deceitful.
From Old English and Middle English roots related to 'cunning.' The word evolved from Old Norse 'kunning' (knowledge, skill) but shifted to mean deceitfulness in certain dialects.
The word 'cun' shows how the same word root gave us both 'cunning' (being clever with skills) and the negative sense of deception—our language reflects how intelligence can be used honestly or dishonestly.
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