Knyghtly

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Definitions

1. Having the qualities expected of a knight, such as bravery, courtesy and loyalty to those in need
2. Resembling or appropriate to a knight, especially in honorable and chivalrous conduct toward others
3. Characteristic of a noble warrior who acts with honor, generosity and devotion to a code of chivalry

Etymology: "Knyghtly" is an archaic spelling of "knightly," and the word is older than the modern spelling suggests. It comes from Old English "cniht," which meant a boy or young male servant, not a mounted warrior at all. The sense shifted over the centuries as the military and social rank of the knight rose in medieval Europe, so a word for a youth ended up describing a class of armoured nobles. The adjective is simply "knight" with the suffix "-ly," meaning "having the qualities of," so "knightly" means "like a knight" or "befitting a knight." The adverbial use, "in the manner of a knight," follows the same pattern. The "gh" spelling survived in writing from the Middle English period, when "cniht" had become "knight," and "knyghtly" is a form that appears in older texts before spelling was standardised.

Synonyms: chivalrous, gallant, noble, valiant, heroic

Antonyms: cowardly, ignoble, dishonourable