Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “knaw” come from?

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

knaw (Middle English): Alternative form of knave

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of knave

Ancestry of “knaw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishknaveson, male child; boy, lad, male child or baby;...
2Old Englishcnafaboy; lad; young man
3Proto-Germanicknabô—
Every word from Proto-Germanic knabô →