Where does “knave” come from?

knave (Middle English) comes from Old English cnafa, from Proto-Germanic knabô.

knave (Middle English): son, male child; boy, lad, male child or baby;...

Definitions

  1. son, male child; boy, lad, male child or baby;...

Ancestry of “knave”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcnafaboy; lad; young man
2Proto-Germanicknabô—

Words derived from “knave”

Every word from Proto-Germanic knabô →Every word from Old English cnafa →
knave — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer