Knecht
/knɛçt/noun
A servant, farmhand, or retainer in German; historically, a dependent laborer or male servant.
Did you know?Knecht is an old German word with deep Germanic roots linked to service and dependency, and it’s related to English words like king and knight through the ancient idea of a person attached to a lord.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gen-
“to beget, give birth; produce, generate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kuningaz
“king, ruler; originally a descendant or member of a kin-group”
Old High German
OHG
kneht
“boy, youth; servant, retainer”
Middle High German
MHG
kneht
“servant, vassal, male attendant”
Modern German
German
Knecht
“servant, farmhand”