A know is a Scots word for a small hill or knoll, often spelled knowe, seen in older writing and many Scottish place-names.
If you’ve read Scots poems, looked at old maps, or walked past a sign with “Knowe” on it, you’ve met this word. It can look like the everyday verb know, so it trips people up. This page answers the question “what is a know?” in plain terms, then shows how the word works in writing, on maps, and in modern English reading.
What A “Know” Means In Plain English
In Scots, a know (often written as knowe) means a small rounded hill, a knoll, or a hillock. It’s a landform word: a thing in the ground you can stand on, walk over, or sit on.
Think of it as the kind of rise in the ground you can use as a marker. Not a mountain. Not a cliff. Just a modest bump or rounded top that stands out in a field, on moorland, or near a burn.
| Form You’ll See | Meaning In Context | Quick Reading Tip |
|---|---|---|
| know | a small hill or knoll | read it as “knoll” in your head |
| knowe | same meaning; common in names | treat it like a place-name element |
| Knowe (capital K) | a named hill, mound, or site | it’s a proper name, still tied to land |
| Knowes | plural: multiple small hills | look for a cluster of rounded rises |
| on the know | position: standing/sitting on a knoll | preposition “on” is a strong clue |
| beyont the know | direction: past/over a knoll | movement verbs often sit nearby |
| _____ Knowe | a place-name built around the hill | the word tags a minor feature on maps |
| Knowe of _____ | a knowe linked to a nearby area | “of” often signals location or ownership |
What Is A Know? In Scots Writing And Place-Names
The word shows up in two places most readers meet first: older Scots writing and Scottish place-names. The Dictionaries of the Scots Language entry for “know” lists many dated citations that use it as a landform word, not a verb.
On maps and signposts, the spelling knowe is common. The Ordnance Survey guide to Scots place-name elements notes that Scots names often label smaller hills and minor features, and “knowe” shows up in that map vocabulary.
Why The Spelling Flips Between “Know” And “Knowe”
Scots spelling in older sources wasn’t locked to one standard the way modern school English is. You’ll see know and knowe used for the same landform idea. In modern place-names, the extra “e” is common because it helps readers avoid mixing it up with the verb know.
If you’re reading a poem or a historical text, treat the spelling as a clue, not a rule. Look at the sentence around it. If it behaves like a thing you can sit on, run over, or stand atop, it’s the hill word.
How It Sounds Out Loud
In many areas, knowe is said close to “noo” (rhyming with “how”), and in some places a light “k” is heard at the start. Pronunciation varies by region and family, the same way “burn” or “loch” can sound a bit different between speakers. A safe reading trick is to treat it like “knoll” when you say it in your head.
Fast Ways To Tell “Know” The Hill From “Know” The Verb
The confusion comes from the spelling. Modern English readers see know and expect “understand” or “be aware.” Scots readers see know and, in the right setting, see “small hill.” The good news is that the sentence usually tells you which one it is.
Clue 1: Articles And Prepositions
If you see “a,” “the,” “this,” or “yon” right before the word, you’re nearly always looking at the noun. You can say “a know,” “the know,” “on the know,” “beyond the know.” Those patterns fit land words.
The verb doesn’t work that way. You don’t say “on the know” to mean knowledge. You’d say “in the know,” and that’s a different phrase with a different meaning.
Clue 2: Movement And Position Verbs Nearby
In Scots lines, the hill word often sits next to actions: sit, stand, run, climb, pass, cross, rest. If the sentence reads like physical motion, your brain should go straight to “knoll.”
Clue 3: Neighbor Land Words
Land words tend to cluster. If you see burn, brae, muir, glen, rigg, loch, or moss nearby, you’re probably in terrain talk. This is why “Knowe” pops up in map reading so often: the name sits in a family of other land terms that all point to place.
Where You’ll Meet “Knowe” In Real Life
You don’t need a poetry book to run into this word. It turns up in lots of Scottish and northern UK names for modest hills and mounds, and it’s still readable once you know what you’re seeing. You may spot it on a roadside sign, a trail map, a farm nameboard, or an old stone marker.
Common Place-Name Patterns
- Adjective + Knowe: names that describe the hill, like a long knowe or a sandy knowe.
- Person/Family + Knowe: names tied to a nearby farm or family history.
- Knowes: a plural label when there are several small rises close together.
- Knowe of + Place/Feature: naming that links the knoll to a nearby area.
Big peaks are easy to spot. Small rises are the ones people use as markers day to day: the bump you walk over to reach the next field, the rounded top where you can see a road, the knoll where sheep shelter from wind. That day-to-day usefulness is why the term shows up so often in minor feature naming.
What It Usually Looks Like On The Ground
A knowe is rarely dramatic. You may see a rounded swell in the grass. You may see a low stony mound. You may see a gentle rise with a clear view over a burn or a track. If a place-name has “Knowe” and you’re out walking, it’s worth glancing around. You’re often closer than you think.
How Writers Use “Know” In Scots Lines
In Scots writing, a know often acts like a stage. Characters sit on it, watch from it, or move past it. The landform gives the line a clear picture: a small rise that changes what you can see.
That’s why the word can carry a lot of scene-setting in a few letters. If you’re reading aloud, swap in “knoll” once to check the sense. If the sentence clicks, keep going.
How To Read It Smoothly In English
- Pause for half a beat when you hit the word.
- Mentally replace it with “knoll.”
- Re-read the sentence once, then move on.
This takes a few seconds the first time. After you’ve met the word a few times, you won’t need the swap. Your brain will treat it as normal vocabulary in that setting.
Common Mix-Ups And Quick Fixes
Most mix-ups fall into the same small set. If you spot them, you can fix them fast.
Mix-Up 1: Reading It As “Knowledge”
Problem: you see “know” and assume it’s the verb.
Fix: check the grammar. If it has “a,” “the,” “on,” “over,” or “beyond” right beside it, it’s the hill noun.
Mix-Up 2: Thinking It Must Be “Knot” Or “Knew”
Problem: your brain tries to correct the spelling into a more familiar word.
Fix: hold the spelling still and read for meaning. The terrain clues will settle it.
Mix-Up 3: Assuming It’s Only A Name, Not A Word
Problem: you treat “Knowe” as a label with no meaning.
Fix: it can be a name element, yet the element still means “small hill.” Reading it as “knoll” keeps the meaning clear in names like “Knowe of …”
Mini Lesson For Students And Self-Study
If you’re teaching Scots vocabulary or brushing up for your own reading, a short routine helps the word stick.
Step 1: Match The Word To A Shape
Draw a simple rounded bump on paper. Label it “know/knowe.” Under it, write “small hill, knoll.” That picture anchors the meaning faster than a long definition.
Step 2: Practice With Three Sentence Frames
- “We stood on the know and watched the road.”
- “The path dips, then rises over a know.”
- “They met at _____ Knowe near the farm.”
These frames train the grammar. You see the word where it naturally fits: after articles, after prepositions, and inside names.
Step 3: Link It To Place-Name Reading
Ask students to spot map labels that name small features, not just towns. Look for “Knowe” beside other land words. That pairing is a strong clue that you’re reading terrain, not a verb.
Quick Reference Table For Reading Place-Names
This table helps when you see “Knowe” mixed with other Scots land words. It’s not a translation sheet for every name. It’s a decoding aid you can use while reading a map or a local history note.
| Element | Plain Meaning | What It Suggests On A Map |
|---|---|---|
| Knowe / Know | small hill, knoll | rounded rise; minor named feature |
| Brae | slope, hillside | steeper side of a hill; a bank |
| Burn | stream | watercourse; may mark a boundary |
| Glen | valley | long dip between higher ground |
| Moss | boggy ground | wetland area; soft footing |
| Muir | moor | open upland; sparse shelter |
| Rig / Riggs | ridge | long narrow rise; line of higher ground |
When “Know” Is The Right Word To Use
Most of the time, in standard modern English, you’ll write “knoll” or “small hill.” You’ll use know or knowe when you’re staying close to Scots context: quoting a poem, keeping the wording of a place-name, or writing about a location where locals still use the term.
If you’re writing for a wide audience, a clean approach is to introduce it once, then keep the original spelling in names. Like this: “The route passes a knowe (a small hill) before dropping to the burn.” After that first bracket, the reader is set.
A Simple Memory Hook That Sticks
Quick hook: knowe means knoll. If “on the knowe” reads clean, it’s the hill noun, not the verb.
Wrap-Up: The Meaning You Needed, Without The Confusion
So, what is a know? A Scots noun for a small hill or knoll, often spelled knowe in place-names and older lines in poems, maps, and notes. Read it as “knoll,” scan nearby land terms, and the sentence usually clicks. The Dictionaries of the Scots Language entry is a solid source to cite in class and for quick checks while reading maps and old signs you’ll spot on hikes and drives.