Knot is a word that can serve as a noun, a verb or as the focus of many phrases. As such, it has a large number of definitions. The most common meaning is "a fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar."
Knot has come down to us from Old English cnotta, which is of West Germanic origin and related to Dutch knot.
How was the "c" at the beginning of the Old English cnotta transformed into a "k?" The same question applies to the word "knight," which derives from the OE cniht. Somebody, anybody, lighten my darkness!
Knot
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: Knot
If I understand correctly, the answer to your question is actually in the paragraph before it. The Old English got it from West Germanic and Dutch, where it was kn-. The Old English are the ones that changed it to a 'c' from a 'k', not the other way around. The New English just put it back the way it was.Knot has come down to us from Old English cnotta, which is of West Germanic origin and related to Dutch knot.
How was the "c" at the beginning of the Old English cnotta transformed into a "k?" The same question applies to the word "knight," which derives from the OE cniht. Somebody, anybody, lighten my darkness!
Hope that helps.
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