Forms: 1 cnafa, 3 cnafe, 3–4 cnaue, 3–7 knaue, (4–5 knawe, knaf(e, 5 knaffe, 5–6 Sc. knaif(f), 4– knave. [OE. cnafa = OHG. knabo, chnabe (MHG. and G. knabe):—OTeut. *knaƀon-. The relation between this and the synonymous chapa, KNAPE (q.v.) is not clear.
OHG. had also knappo (MHG. and G. knappe): on the supposed relationship between this and knabo, see Streitberg Urgerm. Gram. p. 151.]
† 1. A male child, a boy. Obs.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., lv. (1889), 172/19. Na ʓedafenað þam se to fulfremednysse hoʓað, gamenian mid cnafan [L. cum parvulo].
c. 1205. Lay., 292. Þa þe time com: Þat þe cnaue wes iboren.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1151. So ðat he haueð … on eiðer here a knaue bi-geten.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10267. Þe lagh … Biclepis þat man for maledight Þat has na barn, ne mai ne knaue.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvi. (Magdalena), 362. Grant ws grace a barne to hafe, othire a madyne or a knaf.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xiii. 554. Is youre chyld a knave?
2. A boy or lad employed as a servant; hence, a male servant or menial in general; one of low condition. (Freq. opposed to knight.) Now arch.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Spelman), lxxxv. 16 (Bosw.). Syle mihte cnafan þinum [L. puero tuo].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 380. Þe kokes knaue, þet wassheð þe disshes iðe kuchene.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3153. He bad cum wit him knaues tua.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VI. 54. Men sholde constreyne no clerke to knauene werkes.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 506. There may no lord take up a newe gise, But that a knave shalle the same uptake.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxix. (1845), 135. Icham a gentylman of much noble kynne, Thoughe Iche be clad in a knaves skynne.
1600. Dymmok, Ireland (1843), 7. Every Horseman hath two or thre horses, and to every horse a knave.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 22. What Nonsense wou’d the Fool thy Master prate, When thou, his Knave, canst talk at such a rate!
1820. Scott, Monast., xiii. A man seeks but his awn, and yet folk shall hold him for both miller and miller’s man, that is miller and knave. Ibid. (1825), Talism., xx. Thou art an apt, and wilt doubtless be a useful, knave.
3. An unprincipled man, given to dishonorable and deceitful practices; a base and crafty rogue. (Now the main sense. Often contrasted with fool.)
In early use the sense may have been ‘one of low or ignoble character,’ ‘a mean person.’
c. 1205. Lay., 16303. For vnwis is þe king,… & a cnaue is his broðer.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 855. What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knauez.
1481. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 315. Yf any Brother … dysspysse anoder, callenge hym knaffe, or horson, or deffe, or any yoder mysname.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxviii. 39. In Hevin ȝe salbe sanctis full cleir, Thocht ȝe be knavis in this cuntre.
1555. Eden, Decades, 33. His accusers … were nowghtye felowes, abhominable knaues & vylaynes.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 29 Jan. The veriest knave and bufflehead that ever he saw in his life.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. vi. The honest dealer is always undone, and the knave gets the advantage.
1800. Wellington, Lett. to Lieut. Col. Close, in Gurw., Desp. (1837), I. 258. The common practice is to accuse a man of being either a fool or a knave.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, IV. 110. Knaves are men, That lute and flute fantastic tenderness, And dress the victim to the offering up.
b. In various proverbial expressions.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 29. Two false knaues neede no broker, men say. Ibid. Some saie also, it is mery when knaues meete. Ibid., 47. An olde knaue is no childe.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 5. Thus the English Prouerb saith, No knaue to the learned knaue.
c. Jocularly, or without seriously implying bad qualities (cf. rogue, rascal). Now rare.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., III. iii. (Arb.), 46. Good night Roger olde knaue!
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. iv. 107. How now, my pretty knaue, how dost thou?
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 4–5. Lads that are arch knaves at the Nominative Case.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, v. A roar would follow from all the circle of young knaves, usher and all.
4. In playing-cards: The lowest court card of each suit, bearing the representation of a soldier or servant; the jack.
1568. Fulwell, Like will to Like, in Hazl., Dodsley, III. 309. (Stage direction) Here entereth Nichol Newfangle … and hath a knave of clubs in his hand.
a. 1612. Harington, Epigr. A sawcy Knave, to trump both King and Queene.
1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, III. 87. The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins … the Queen of Hearts.
1796. Eliza Hamilton, Lett. Hindoo Rajah, I. 150. If any one of the figures has any claim to European origin, it is that of Knave.
1868. Pardon, Card Player, 11. The old German cards had neither queen nor knave.
† 5. A contrivance in which a spool or spindle revolves. Obs. rare.
1564. Inv., in Noake, Worces’ersh. Relics (1877), 13. In the weaving shoppe ij pare of shuttels, a swiste and a knave to the quiltourne.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 287/2. The Reeling Pin (which some call a Knave …) is for the Spool to run or turn upon whilst it is Reeling upon the Reel.
6. attrib. and Comb., as knave-fool; knave-born adj.; † knave-seller, a slave-dealer; † knave’s grease, a flogging; † knave’s mustard, some cruciferous plant. Also KNAVE-BAIRN, -CHILD.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., III. cxxxviii. 112. Get up *knave-born falsehoods against the people and governors of foreign countries.
1627. Drayton, Moon-calf, Poems (1810), 129/1. Whilst that *knave-fool,… Smiles at the coxcomb, which admires him so.
1552. Huloet, *Knaue seller, or he that selleth knaues or slaues.
1608. Withal’s Dict. Childr., 73. Mastigophorus,… that is worthie to bee beaten, or scourged, they cal it *knaues grease.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. xix. 206. The thirde kinde of treacle Mustarde, named *knaues Mustard (for that it is too bad for honest men).
