Where does “knightly” come from?

Knightly comes from Old English cnihtlīċ, derived from cniht meaning a young man or servant.

knightly (English): Of or pertaining to a knight or knights;...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to a knight or knights;...

Ancestry of “knightly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishknyghtlybrave, bold, martial
2Middle English-lyAlternative form of -liche
3Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
4Proto-Germanic*-līk—

Words derived from “knightly”

Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →Every word from Middle English -ly →Every word from Old English -līċ →