knave

English

Etymology

From Middle English knave, from Old English cnafa (“child, boy, youth; servant”), from Proto-Germanic *knabô (“boy, youth”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnebʰ- (“to press, tighten”), from Proto-Indo-European *gen- (“to pinch, squeeze, bend, press together, ball”). Cognate with German Knabe (“lad”). Related also to knape.

Pronunciation

• enPR: nāv, IPA: /neɪv/, X-SAMPA: /neIv/
• Rhymes: -eɪv

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: nave

Noun

knave (plural knaves)

1. (archaic) A boy; especially, a boy servant.
2. (archaic) Any male servant; a menial.
3. A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person; a rogue; a villain.
   • 1977, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Penguin Classics, p. 204:

     God's bones! Whenever I go to beat those knaves / my tapsters, out she [my wife] comes with clubs and staves, / "Go on!" she screams — and its a caterwaul — / "You kill those dogs! Break back and bones and all!"

4. (card games) A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:villain

Derived terms

• knavery
• knavish

Translations

archaic: boy; especially, boy servant

• Dutch: knaap (nl) m
• Finnish: knaapi (fi), hovipoika (fi)
• French: page (fr) m
• German: Knabe (de) m, Knappe (de) m

• Spanish: paje (es) m
• Swahili: ghulamu (sw)
• Swedish: hjon (sv) n

archaic: any male servant

• Dutch: boy (nl) m, knecht (nl) m
• Finnish: knaapi (fi)
• German: Boy (de) m, Knecht (de) m
• Russian: прислужник (ru) (prislužnik) m, лакей (ru) (lakej) m

• Spanish: mozo (es) m
• Swahili: ghulamu (sw)
• Swedish: dräng (sv) c (farmhand)

deceitful fellow

• Dutch: schelm (nl) m
• Finnish: ; lurjus
• French: voyou (fr) m, fourbe (fr) m
• German: Gauner (de) m, Schurke (de) m
• Greek: απατεών (el) (apateon) m

• Russian: подлец (ru) (podlec) m, плут (ru) (plut) m, жулик (ru) (žulik) m
• Spanish: bellaco (es) m, villano (es) m
• Swahili: ghulamu (sw)
• Swedish: skojare (sv) c, gynnare (sv) c

playing card

• Dutch: boer (nl) m
• Finnish: jätkä (fi), sotamies (fi), solttu (fi)
• French: valet (fr) m
• German: Bube (de) m
• Italian: fante (it)

• Portuguese: valete (pt) m
• Russian: валет (ru) (valet) m
• Spanish: sota (es) f
• Swahili: ghulamu (sw)
• Swedish: knekt (sv)