knight

knight
\ \ [OE] The word knight has come up in the world over the centuries. In the Old English period it simply meant ‘boy’ or ‘young man’. By the 10th century it had broadened out to ‘male servant’, and within a hundred years of that we find it being used for ‘military servant, soldier’.
\ \ This is the general level or ‘rank’ at which the word’s continental relatives, German and Dutch knecht, have remained. But in England, in the course of the early Middle Ages, knight came to denote, in the feudal system, ‘one who bore arms in return for land’, and later ‘one raised to noble rank in return for military service’. The modern notion of knighthood as a rung in the nobility, without any necessary connotations of military prowess, dates from the 16th century.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Knight — Knight, n. [OE. knight, cniht, knight, soldier, AS. cniht, cneoht, a boy, youth, attendant, military follower; akin to D. & G. knecht servant; perh. akin to E. kin.] 1. A young servant or follower; a military attendant. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • knight — knight·age; knight; knight·ess; knight·ful·ly; knight·hood; knight·ia; knight·li·hood; knight·li·ness; knight·ling; rad·knight; rod·knight; knight·ly; Knight; …   English syllables

  • Knight XV — на Викискладе …   Википедия

  • knight|ly — «NYT lee», adjective, adverb. –adj. 1. of or like a knight; brave, generous, and courteous; chivalrous: »knightly courage. SYNONYM(S): noble. 2. belonging to or appropriate to a knight: »a knightly sword, knightly deeds. 3. consisting or composed …   Useful english dictionary

  • knight — ► NOUN 1) (in the Middle Ages) a man raised to honourable military rank after service as a page and squire. 2) (in the UK) a man awarded a non hereditary title by the sovereign and entitled to use ‘Sir’ in front of his name. 3) a chess piece,… …   English terms dictionary

  • Knight — Knight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Knighted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Knighting}.] To dub or create (one) a knight; done in England by the sovereign only, who taps the kneeling candidate with a sword, saying: Rise, Sir . [1913 Webster] A soldier, by the honor …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Knight — [nait] der; s, s <aus engl. knight »Ritter«, dies aus mittelengl. knight »Knabe« (verwandt mit dt. Knecht)> die nicht erbliche, unterste Stufe des engl. Adels …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • knight — [nīt] n. [ME kniht < OE cniht, boy, retainer, akin to Ger knecht, lad, servant < IE * gnegh : for base see KNEAD] 1. in the Middle Ages, a) a military servant of a king or other feudal superior; tenant holding land on condition that he… …   English World dictionary

  • Knight [1] — Knight (engl., spr. nait, vom angelsächs. cniht, »Knecht«), in England soviel wie Ritter. Das Wort findet sich seit dem 10. Jahrh., nachdem sich aus der frühern Gefolgschaft der angelsächsischen Könige ein erblicher Stand von Grundbesitzern… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Knight — (engl., spr. neit, das deutsche Wort Knecht), Ritter; die unterste und älteste Stufe der persönlichen Ritterwürde, die des Knight bachelor (spr. bättschĕlĕr), ist seit 1660 bloßer Titel mit dem Prädikat »Sir« …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Knight [1] — Knight (engl., spr. Neiht), 1) der Knecht; 2) in England so v.w. Ritter, so K. Bachelours (spr. Neit Bätschelohrs), die unterste Stufe der versönlichen Ritterwürde; K. Bannerets (spr. Neit Bennerets), Bannerherr, eine Würde, welche eigentlich nur …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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