Neel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To lower oneself briefly by bending the knees or one knee as a sign of respect or submission; to adopt a kneeling posture for prayer or reverence; to stoop down or bow in humility or supplication
2. To descend to a kneeling position often as a gesture of honor or entreaty; to crouch on one or both knees, typically in religious or formal contexts; to submit oneself physically by bending the knees toward the ground
3. The act of bending one or both knees to the floor usually to show deference or devotion; to assume a lowered posture by sinking down on knees for homage or penitence; to incline oneself by going down onto the knees in acknowledgment or request

Etymology: Old English had "cnēow" for the knee and "cnēowlian" for going down on one's knees. For centuries the initial k was pronounced, but by the later Middle Ages English speakers had stopped sounding it before n. Spelling lagged behind speech, so the k stayed in print while the sound changed. "Neel" is a phonetic spelling of kneel that records that lost k, and it appears in Scots and northern dialects. As a noun for the act of kneeling, it is a rare form of the verb, derived from it.