Why is K silent in KNIFE? A Complete List of KN- Words...Bet you don't know them all!

The 'k' in knife wasn't always silent, and, in fact, when the English language was Old English almost 1,000 years ago, the 'k' in knife was most certainly pronounced.  It wasn't until the 16th or 17th century that English speakers began to drop the 'k' pronunciation, most likely or perhaps because it was easier to just say 'n' rather than a consonant cluster 'kn'.

Here's a list of 225 KN- words... Do you know them all?  Remember, don't pronounce the 'k'!

1. knack
2. knacked
3. knacker
4. knackered
5. knackeries
6. knackers
7. knackery
8. knacking
9. knacks
10. knackwurst
11. knackwursts
12. knap
13. knapped
14. knapper
15. knappers
16. knapping
17. knaps
18. knapsack
19. knapsacked
20. knapsacks
21. knapweed
22. knapweeds
23. knar
24. knarred
25. knarry
26. knars
27. knaur
28. knaurs
29. knave
30. knaveries
31. knavery
32. knaves
33. knavish
34. knavishly
35. knawel
36. knawels
37. knead
38. kneadable
39. kneaded
40. kneader
41. kneaders
42. kneading
43. kneads
44. knee
45. kneecap
46. kneecapped
47. kneecapping
48. kneecappings
49. kneecaps
50. kneed
51. kneehole
52. kneeholes
53. kneeing
54. kneel
55. kneeled
56. kneeler
57. kneelers
58. kneeling
59. kneels
60. kneepad
61. kneepads
62. kneepan
63. kneepans
64. knees
65. kneesock
66. kneesocks
67. knell
68. knelled
69. knelling
70. knells
71. knelt
72. knesset
73. knessets
74. knew
75. knickerbocker
76. knickerbockers
77. knickers
78. knickknack
79. knickknacks
80. knife
81. knifed
82. knifelike
83. knifepoint
84. knifepoints
85. knifer
86. knifers
87. knifes
88. knifing
89. knight
90. knighted
91. knighthood
92. knighthoods
93. knighting
94. knightliness
95. knightlinesses
96. knightly
97. knights
98. knish
99. knishes
100. knit
101. knits
102. knitted
103. knitter
104. knitters
105. knitting
106. knittings
107. knitwear
108. knives
109. knob
110. knobbed
111. knobbier
112. knobbiest
113. knobblier
114. knobbliest
115. knobbly
116. knobby
117. knobkerrie
118. knobkerries
119. knoblike
120. knobs
121. knock
122. knockabout
123. knockabouts
124. knockdown
125. knockdowns
126. knocked
127. knocker
128. knockers
129. knocking
130. knockoff
131. knockoffs
132. knockout
133. knockouts
134. knocks
135. knockwurst
136. knockwursts
137. knoll
138. knolled
139. knoller
140. knollers
141. knolling
142. knolls
143. knolly
144. knop
145. knopped
146. knops
147. knosp
148. knosps
149. knot
150. knotgrass
151. knotgrasses
152. knothole
153. knotholes
154. knotless
155. knotlike
156. knots
157. knotted
158. knotter
159. knotters
160. knottier
161. knottiest
162. knottily
163. knottiness
164. knottinesses
165. knotting
166. knottings
167. knotty
168. knotweed
169. knotweeds
170. knout
171. knouted
172. knouting
173. knouts
174. know
175. knowable
176. knower
177. knowers
178. knowing
179. knowinger
180. knowingest
181. knowingly
182. knowingness
183. knowingnesses
184. knowings
185. knowledge
186. knowledgeabilities (I doubt that this word is an actual word...)
187. knowledgeability
188. knowledgeable
189. knowledgeableness
190. knowledgeablenesses (And I doubt this one too!...)
191. knowledgeably
192. knowledges
193. known
194. knowns
195. knows
196. knubbier
197. knubbiest
198. knubby
199. knuckle
200. knuckleball
201. knuckleballer
202. knuckleballers
203. knuckleballs
204. knucklebone
205. knucklebones
206. knuckled
207. knucklehead
208. knuckleheaded
209. knuckleheads
210. knuckler
211. knucklers
212. knuckles
213. knucklier
214. knuckliest
215. knuckling
216. knuckly
217. knur
218. knurl
219. knurled
220. knurlier
221. knurliest
222. knurling
223. knurls
224. knurly
225. knurs

A HEARTY WELCOME or a CORDIAL RECEPTION? This is so COOL! ...especially for native speakers...

When you think of a hearty welcome, what do you imagine...?

What are people wearing?  What are people drinking?  Where is everyone?

When you think of a cordial reception, what do you imagine...?

What are people wearing?  What are people drinking?  Where is everyone?

A TED Talk about the History of the English Language

So, what you imagine is a reflection of the roots of the English Language, and when I say roots, I mean a century (1,000 years) ago.

Thanks to my colleague, Tim, I leave you here with this amazing TED Talk, which explains the etymology of a hearty welcome and a cordial reception:

Enjoy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kIzFz9T5rhI

I wish I WAS...or WERE? Using the Subjunctive in English

In short, the answer is I wish I WERE, but most people say was these days, which is grammatically incorrect, and serves as yet another example of English losing its grammatical nuances that make it an expressive, complex and interesting language.  Another example of the weakening and watering down of the English language is evident in the quickly disappearing use of whom in speech. 

Grammatically speaking, were is correct because it defines the subjunctive mood, a tense once used in Old English that is still actually used today although unknown and not even taught to most English speakers. The concept of the subjunctive has remained the same (expressing a wish, suggestion, requirement or demand), but the grammar does not require an entirely different conjugation, as it did in Old English. Most likely English speakers have more experience with this grammatical tense through learning Spanish, Portuguese, French or other Romance, Slavic, Germanic or Celtic languages.

The Subjunctive in English:

Note that the subjunctive mood in the verb to be only changes in the first person and third person singular as seen in bold below:

Wishes:

I wish I were...
You wish you were...
She wishes she were...
We wish we were...
They wish they were...

If I were a painter...
If you were a painter...
If she were a painter...
If we were painters...
If they were painters...

Using the were instead of was sends the message that it whatever we are expressing is not a reality, that it is contrary to fact.