Is the word Keen, meaning wail, related to a Hebrew word referring to mourning? [closed]

You need a dictionary that gives etymologies. The most comprehensive is the Oxford English Dictionary, but it requires a paid subscription. You may find the Online Etymology Dictionary of some help.


From etymonline:

"lament," 1811, from Ir. caoinim "I weep, wail, lament," from O.Ir. coinim "I wail." Related: Keened; keening. As a noun from 1830.

ODO's entry for keen reads as follows:

v. wail in grief for a dead person:
n. an Irish funeral song accompanied by wailing in lamentation for the dead.

So, no, the English keen does not appear to have any connection to the Hebrew kinnot. Considering that the Hebrew word probably dates back to the 6th century CE, it's unlikely that it has any connection with English either.

[Personally, I was under the mistaken impression that keening was onomatopoeic in origin.]