Etymology Explorer › Middle Dutch

Where does “cnecht” come from?

cnecht (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch kneht, from Proto-West Germanic kneht — youth, boy; servant, knight.

Ancestry of “cnecht”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchkneht—
2Proto-West Germanicknehtyouth, boy; servant, knight

Words derived from “cnecht”

  • veeknecht
  • boerenknecht
  • voetknecht
  • knecht
  • stalknecht
Every word from Proto-West Germanic kneht →