Where does “knape” come from?

knape (English) comes from Middle English knape, from Old English cnapa, from Proto-West Germanic knappō — boy.

knape (English): A lad

Definitions

  1. A lad

Ancestry of “knape”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishknapeboy, male child; servant, hireling; guy, bloke,...
2Old Englishcnapaboy; lad; young man; servant
3Proto-West Germanicknappōboy
Every word from Proto-West Germanic knappō →Every word from Old English cnapa →Every word from Middle English knape →
knape — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer