Where does “unknight” come from?
unknight (English) comes from English Knight, from Middle English knight, from Old English cniht, from Proto-West Germanic kneht — youth, boy; servant, knight.
unknight (English): To deprive of knighthood
Ancestry of “unknight”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Knight | — |
| 2 | Middle English | knight | knight |
| 3 | Old English | cniht | boy; servant, attendant; male of high military... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kneht | youth, boy; servant, knight |