A rejected (Noldorin-only?) root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “spearhead, gore” (EtyAC/KEN).
Primitive elvish
ken
root. see, perceive, note, see, perceive, note, [ᴹ√] look at, observe, direct gaze
Quenya
cen-
verb. to see, behold, look, to see, behold, look, *perceive
Sindarin
tíra-
verb. to see
Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!
Middle Primitive Elvish
ken
root. spearhead, gore
ken
root. see, perceive, look at, observe, direct gaze
kyen
root. see, perceive, look at, observe, direct gaze
Early Quenya
ken
noun. *earth, soil
ke
pronoun. you; 2nd sg. pronoun
kemi
noun. earth, soil, land
An Early Qenya word derived from the root ᴱ√KEME and translated “earth, soil, land” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/46) and as “earth, soil” in Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa from this same period (PME/46). While this form and derivation are compatible with Tolkien later notions of the Elvish languages, I think it is better to use the later terms cemen for “earth, soil” and nór for “land”.
sehta-
verb. to see
véla
verb. to see
Qenya
ken-
verb. to see
kenya-
verb. to see
Gnomish
gwinta-
verb. to see
thê-
verb. to see
Tolkien first introduced this root in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a variant of ᴹ√KHEN “look at, see, observe, direct gaze” along with ᴹ√KYEN (EtyAC/KHEN). In The Etymologies it had no derivatives, but in the Quenya Verbal System it appeared with the gloss “see, perceive” as the basis for the verb ᴹQ. ken- of the same meaning (PE22/103). √KEN “see, perceive” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writing thereafter (PE17/156, 187; PE22/155; VT41/5).