Monday 2 July 2012

English Nerd Facts: Knicht

I am not only a history student, I also study English. It isn't my native language but I still learned quite a few cool things, especially in my Old English and Early Modern English classes. So today I have a little fun fact for you:

Did you know the Old English word "knicht" existed in Old German as well? It both meant "horse rider". That itself would not be very interesting, I admit. BUT:
As time went one the two languages developed and "knicht" became "knight" in English and "Knecht" in German. "Knecht" means "farm labourer" in English. So basically, the term has gone up in hirarchy in the English language while it has gone down in German. This difference in meaning can be found in nearly every single word that the two languages had in common and that changed meaning during the time. 

Have a great day,
The Countess


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