Where does “knout” come from?

knout (English) comes from French knout, from Russian кнут, from Old East Slavic кнутъ, from Old Norse Knútr, from Proto-Germanic knuttô, from Proto-Indo-European gnod- — to bind.

knout (English): A leather scourge (multi-tail whip), in the severe version known as 'great knout' with metal weights on each tongue, notoriously used in imperial Russia

Definitions

  1. A leather scourge (multi-tail whip), in the severe version known as 'great knout' with metal weights on each tongue, notoriously used in imperial Russia

Ancestry of “knout”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchknoutknout, scourge; a flogging administered with such...
2Russianкнутwhip, knout, scourge
3Old East Slavicкнутъ—
4Old NorseKnútrknot
5Proto-Germanicknuttôa knot
6Proto-Indo-Europeangnod-to bind

Words derived from “knout”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gnod- →Every word from Proto-Germanic knuttô →Every word from Old Norse Knútr →
knout — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer