v. Pa. t. and pple. kneeled, knelt. Forms: α. 1 cnéowlian, 2–4 cnewlen, 3 cneoulen, kneuli(ȝen, 3–4 kneulen, 4 knewlen. β. 2 cnylen, 2–3 cneolen, cnelen, 3 cneoli, -ly, kneolien, -ly, -len, 3–4 knelen, (kn-, cnely), 3–6 knele, (5–6 knyl, Sc. kneil(l), 6–7 kneele, 7– kneel. [Early ME. cneolen:—OE. cnéowlian = Du. knielen, MLG., LG. knelen; deriv. of cnéow, knie, KNEE sb. The pa. t. and pple. knelt appear to be late (19th c.) and of southern origin. Cf. feel, felt.]
intr. To fall on the knees or a knee; to assume, or remain in, a posture in which the body is supported on the bended knees or on one of them, as in supplication or homage. Const. to; also, with indirect passive, to be knelt to. Sometimes of the knee: To bend to the ground in supplication or reverence.
α. a. 1000[?]. Canons of K. Edgar (MS. Cott. Tiberius A. iii. lf. 96). Silf he on diʓlum cneowlie [v.r. (Thorpe, Anct. Laws II. 282) ʓecneowiʓe] ʓelome and hine on eorðan swiðe aþenie.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 25. After þe forme word of þe salme [þu] abuȝest gode and cnewlest toȝenes him.
c. 1300. Beket, 540. The Bischop of Northwich … Kneulede tofore him wepinge.
c. 1320. Sir Beues (MS. A), 259. Þerl knewlede to þemperur.
β. c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 51. He ðat alle cnewes to cnelið. Ibid., 145. Cnyle ðar niðer to-foren hise fet.
c. 1205. Lay., 19976. Þer to gon cneoli [c. 1275 cneoly] þe king.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 20. Et tis word … buweð oðer kneoleð.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7607. Þis heyemen, in chirche me may yse Knely [v.rr. Kneleþ, Kneuliȝeþ] to god.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 39. Ther Kneled in the weye A compaignye of ladyes.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 124. Þou chuldest cnely bifore Crist.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VII. 578. The hardy Scottis … Be fors off hand gert mony cruell kneill.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, Make your humble confession to almightie God … mekely knelyng upon your knees.
1610. Shaks., Temp., II. i. 128. You were kneel’d too, & importun’d otherwise By all of vs.
1637. Pocklington, Altare Chr., 154. His knees may not buckle to Baal, nor kneele at the Communion.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 231. On these stones St. Peter kneeled, when the devils carried Simon Magus through the air.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), III. 14. The clerk kneels before the ordinary, whilst he reads the words of the institution.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, xvii. The homely altar where they knelt in after-life.
1884. F. M. Crawford, Rom. Singer, I. ii. 25. Most of the people around him kneeled.
fig. 1633. Herbert, Temple, Businesse, 38. Who in heart not ever kneels.
1821. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., I. i. 378. Let the will kneel within thy haughty heart.
1855. Browning, Childe Roland, xx. Low scrubby alders kneeled down over it [the river].
b. With down (adown): To go down on the knees. So kneel up, to rise on the knees.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 20. Heo bigon on hire cneon to cneolin adun.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4816. Dun þai kneld [v.rr. knelid, kneled] at his fette.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1145. Þai knelyd doune at þe water syde.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1321/1. Who … falling downe prostrate on his face, and then kneeling up, concluded this noble exercise with these words to her Majestie.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. ii. 19. But as for Cæsar, Kneele downe, kneele downe, and wonder.
1750. N. Lardner, Wks. (1838), III. 292. They kneeled down to the elect to ask their blessing.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, X. xxxix. He knelt down upon the dust.
1849. Dickens, Dav. Copp., ii. When I kneel up, early in the morning, in my little bed … to look out.
c. With refl. pron. (see HIM 4 b). arch.
c. 1430. Life St. Kath. (1884), 9. A lord aroos … and kneled hym doun before þe queen.
1595. Daniel, Civ. Wars, II. lxiii. He kneeles him downe euen at his entering.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, VI. xxix. There they kneeled them down.
d. With impers. object: To kneel it.
1656. S. H., Gold. Law, 91. We beg and entreat, and bend also; yea and kneel it.
