Where does “knave” come from?

Knave derives from Middle English knave, from Old English cnafa, from Proto-Germanic knabô, originally meaning boy or servant.

knave (English): A boy; especially, a boy servant; Any male...

Definitions

  1. A boy; especially, a boy servant; Any male...

Ancestry of “knave”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishknaveson, male child; boy, lad, male child or baby;...
2Old Englishcnafaboy; lad; young man
3Proto-Germanicknabô—

Words derived from “knave”

Every word from Proto-Germanic knabô →Every word from Old English cnafa →Every word from Middle English knave →