(decrease+power)

קני, קָנָה(b. h.) ( to estabIish, 1) (cmp. קום, Gen. 23:17) to create; to acquire, own; to take possession. R. Hash. 31a (ref. to Ps. 24 recited in the Temple on the first day of the week) על שם שק׳ והקנהוכ׳ because he (the Lord in establishing the world) took possession and gave (his creatures) possession (invested them with a fief), and became the sovereign of the world. Kidd.I, 1 האשה קוֹנָה את עצמהוכ׳ a wife acquires herself (becomes independent) when she receives her divorce Ib. 20a כל הקוֹנֶה … כקונהוכ׳ whoever buys a Hebrew bondman creates, as it were, a master over himself. B. Mets.75b הקונה אדון לעצמו he who creates a master over himself, expl. תולה נכסיו בנכרי who (in order to evade obligations) hangs his property on a gentile (pretends to be merely the agent of a gentile); (another explan.) הכותב נכסיווכ׳ who transfers his property to his children during his lifetime. Gitt.37b sq. (ref. to Lev. 25:45) אתם קוֹנִיםוכ׳ you may buy (as a slave) one of them, but they cannot buy one of you, nor can they buy of one another. Ib. יכול לא יִקְנוּ זה את זה למעשה ידיו you may think, they cannot buy one another for the work (as long as the serf choses to be in the masters power); ולא הם קוֹנִים … לגופו they cannot buy of one another a bodily slave (who requires formal manumission to be a freeman). B. Mets.46b bot. מכור לי באלו ק׳ if one says, sell me (a certain object) for these (coins which I hold in my hand), he has bought (the sale is valid). Ib. IV, 1 הזהב קונהוכ׳, v. זָהָב. Ib. מעות הרעות קוֹנוֹתוכ׳ the delivery of cancelled coins effects the purchase of the valid coins. Ib. 47b מעות קונות the delivery of the purchasing money gives possession (no formal possession of the purchased object (מְשִׁיכָה) being required). Kidd.22b הגבהה קונה lifting up the purchased object makes the sale binding; a. v. fr. 2) to make sure; to obligate a person by a special symbolical act (קִנְיָן); to enter into an obligation by a special symbolical form. Gitt.51a בשקָנוּ מידו when they (the court, witnesses) made him obligate himself (that his widow should receive support from his estate); בשקנו לזו ולא קנו לזו when such an obligation was entered with reference to this (his wifes case), but not with reference to that (his daughters case). B. Mets.47a במה קונין … בכליו של קונה wherewith is the bargain made sure?… By handing over one of the garments (or any object) belonging to the purchaser; דניחא ליה לקונה דליהוי מקנה קונהוכ׳ for the purchaser likes the seller to obligate himself, in order that he may be sure to give him possession; a. fr.Ib. 48b when he said to him, ערבוני יָקוּן (fr. קון = קנה) my earnest money shall serve to make the purchase sure.Part. pass. קָנוּי; f. קְנוּיָה; pl. קְנוּיִים, קְנוּיִין; קְנוּיוֹת. Kidd.16a עבד עברי גופו ק׳ והרבוכ׳ a Hebrew bondman is owned bodily (to the end of his term), and if the master allowed him a reduction of his time, his allowance is not legally binding (the slave not being able to acquire himself); ib. 28a; B. Kam. 113b. Gen. R. s. 86 (ref. to Gen. 39:1) הקנויין קונין וכלוכ׳ as a rule those who are owned make themselves owners (slaves enrich themselves by robbing their master), and all slaves cause decrease to their masters house, but in this case ‘the Lord blessed (ib. 5); Yalk. ib. 145 הקונין קונין (corr. acc.); a. fr.Tosef.Ned.IV, 6 קונם … שאני קנוי the axe of which I am possessed be forbidden (v. קוֹנָם), i. e. I swear that I have no axe; Ned.35a (Rashi שאינו ק׳ I swear that another axe is not owned by me).Y.Peah IV, 18b השעה קנויה, read: פְּנוּיָה, v. פָּנוּי. Nif. נִקְנֶה to be acquired, owned, bought. Kidd.20a (ref. to Lev. 25:14) דבר הנ׳ מיד ליד this refers to what is bought from hand to hand (movable goods). Ib. I, 1 האשה נִקְנֵיתוכ׳ a wife can be acquired in three ways. Ib. 6b אין אשה נ׳ בחליפין a wife cannot be taken possession of by symbolical delivery (חֲלִיפִין). Ib. I, 3 עבד כנעני נ׳ בכסףוכ׳ a Canaanite slave is taken possession of (is considered owned) either by delivery of the purchasing money, or by a deed, or by undisturbed possession (חֲזָקָה). Ib. 5 נכסים שיש … נִקְנִיןוכ׳ landed property is acquired by means of handing over the money, but movables cannot be acquired otherwise than by taking hold (מְשִׁיכָה). Ib. 22b תִּקָּנֶה בביאח let her be acquired (become his slave) by coition; a. fr. Hif. הִקְנָה to give possession, sell, transfer. R. Hash. l. c., v. supra. Snh.81b ולמַקְנוֹ, v. קוֹנֶה. Keth.82b אשה הִקְנוּ לווכ׳ it is heaven that gave him a wife (through his brothers death without issue); Yeb.39a. B. Mets.47a בכליו של מַקְנֶה, v. supra. Ib. 33b, a. fr. אין אדם מקנה דברוכ׳ none can give possession of (sell) what does not yet exist (future crops); a. fr.Esth. R. introd. (ref. to Deut. 28:68 sq.) למה ואין קונה …ע״י שלא הִקְנִיתֶם אלהוכ׳ why ‘no purchaser?… Because you have not transmitted ‘these words of the covenant, for there is none among you making the five books of the Law his own (v. קוֹנֶה).