Crossword Genius

An original killer (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cain

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'killer' is the definition.
(Cain who killed Abel)

'an original' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'an' could be 'i' (Roman numeral for one) and 'i' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'can' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for cain that I've seen before include "Abel's brother" , "Eve's firstborn" , "First murderer reported in the Bible" , "The first known murderer" , "First person born in Bible" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app