Here's a breakdown of its linguistic history:
* Proto-Germanic: *kunnaz* (meaning "race, kind, nature")
* Old English: *cynn* (meaning "race, kind, nature, generation, family, lineage")
* Middle English: *kin* (meaning "family, relatives")
* Modern English: *kin* (meaning "relatives, family")
So, "kin" essentially traces back to a word referring to shared ancestry and belonging.