knez

K5N1E1Z10
/ˈknɛz//kəˈnɛz/

noun

A duke or prince in medieval Slavic countries.

OriginBelarusian князь ← Ukrainian князь ← zle-ort кнѧзь →
RareScrabble 17
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Meanings

nounknez (plural knezes or knezi)

plural knezes · plural knezi · alternative kniaz · alternative knyaz

  1. historicalA duke or prince in medieval Slavic countries.
  2. historicalA leader of the Vlach (or Romanian) communities in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*kuningaz“king”
  2. Proto-Slavic*kъ̏nędzь“prince”
  3. Old East Slavicкънѧзь
  4. Russianкнязь
  5. zle-ortкнѧзь
  6. Ukrainianкнязь
  7. Belarusianкнязь
  8. Englishknez

From Belarusian князь (knjazʹ) and Ukrainian князь (knjazʹ) (from Old Ruthenian кнѧзь (knjazʹ)) and Russian князь (knjazʹ); all from Old East Slavic кънѧзь (kŭnęzĭ), кнѧзь (knęzĭ), from Proto-Slavic *kъ̏nędzь (“prince”), from earlier *kъnęgъ, by consensus ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz (“king”). Doublet of cyning and king.

More words from Belarusian, Ukrainian, zle-ort

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with knez

desrespresWeshesPezfezKezmerguez
All rhymes →

Anagrams

Zenk
Cite this entry
APA

knez. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knez

MLA

“knez.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knez. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “knez,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/knez.

Source: knez on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.