Middle English, present part. of cunnan to know how to, from Old English: see can¹. The original meaning of cunning, from the 14th cent., was ‘learned’. From this derived the sense ‘skilful, clever’ which in modern use rarely appears except in reference to craftsmanship. Because ‘clever’ is often seen as ‘too clever’ or ‘deceitful’, by the late 16th cent. the word acquired the derogatory sense which prevails today