Where does “knew” come from?
knew (Middle English) comes from Middle English kne, from Old English cnēo, from Proto-West Germanic kneu, from Proto-Germanic knewą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵnéwo-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵónu — knee.
knew (Middle English): Alternative form of kne
Ancestry of “knew”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kne | knee |
| 2 | Old English | cnēo | generation |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kneu | knee |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | knewą | knee |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵnéwo- | knee |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵónu | knee |