Lexical Definition

‎כֵּן‎ kên (kane) gnat ^H:N-M
from ‎כָּנַן‎ in the sense of fastening; (from infixing its sting; used only in plural (and irregular in Exodus 8:17,18; Hebrews 13:14))

lice, [idiom] manner.

• a gnat

1) gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm

Brown-Driver-Briggs

IV. ‎כֵּן‎ (?), ‎כִּנִּם‎, ‎כִּנָּם‎ noun [masculine], meaning dubious; either gnat, gnats, gnat-swarm (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 <TOPIC:Philo Judaeus> Philo^{Vita Mos. i, p. 97}, <TOPIC:Origen>Origen^{Hom. 4, 6 in Ex.}, and most moderns), or [louse,] lice (so ᵑ6 ᵑ7 Jos^{Ant. «JOSEPHUS:Antiquities 2:14»ii. 14}. 13 Boch^{Hieroz. II, ii, 572 f.}, as Late Hebrew ‎כִּנָּה‎, plural ‎כִּנִּים‎ = maggots, and especially lice) — absolute perhaps ‎כֵּן‎ Isa 51:6 (see below); plural ‎כִּנִּים‎ Exod 8:13*; Exod 8:14*; Ps 105:31, ‎כִּנִּם‎ Exod 8:12*; Exod 8:13*; Exod 8:14* has, also, ‎כִּנָּם‎ probably a mere Masoretic device for ‎כִּנִּם‎ (compare Di), on account of preceding ‎וַתְּהִי‎ (on which see Ges^{«GKC:145»§ 145}. 4 Da^{Synt. § 116}); ⅏ has ‎כנים‎ throughout: — of Egyptian plague Exod 8:12*; Exod 8:13* (twice in verse); Exod 8:14* (twice in verse) (all P), hence Ps 105:31 ‎כְּמוֺכֵֿן יְמוּתוּן‎ Isa 51:6 like a gnatswarm (?) shall they die (compare Di Du; Weir Che read ‎כנים‎, compare Buhl^{p. 355}; > Brd De like this).

Note. — Nö^{M 54} Ba^{NB § 15, ES 53} Buhl^{Ges HWB ed. 12} connect this word etymologically with Aramaic ‎כלמתא‎ vermin, Ba and Buhl also with Assyrian kalmatu, id. [Dl](/btb/not_created.html)^{HWB 333}], and even with Aramaic ‎קלמתא‎, , Arabic , etc., Ethiopic louse; but these connections, as well as that with Late Hebrew ‎כְּנִימָה‎, all involving radical ‎מ‎, are most improbable

Brown-Driver-Briggs References