Where does “knight” come from?

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

knight (Middle English): knight

Definitions

  1. knight

Ancestry of “knight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcnihtboy; servant, attendant; male of high military...
2Proto-West Germanicknehtyouth, boy; servant, knight

Words derived from “knight”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic kneht →Every word from Old English cniht →
knight — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer